Tidal Wave
by X-Lisa-Anne-X
Summary: Caroline Winters became the winner of the 68th Hunger Games at 17-years-old. She's struggled with the aftermath of what life is like after becoming a Victor. The Quarter Quell is approaching and everyone has a part to play. The Mockingjay has become a symbol of hope and the rebellion was awakening. Can promises be kept? Can love remain strong through thick and thin?
1. Prologue

_Copyright Note: I do not own anything to do with the Hunger Games series, only my own character Caroline Winters._

 **Actress Lookalike - Candice King**

 _ **Extended Summary:** **Caroline Winters became the winner of the 68th Hunger Games at 17-years-old. She's struggled with the aftermath of what life is like after becoming a Victor. She does what she does to keep those she loves safe. The Quarter Quell is approaching and everyone has a part to play. The Mockingjay has become a symbol of hope and the rebellion was awakening. Can promises be kept? Can love remain strong through thick and thin?**_

 _ **Flashbacks will be spread throughout the book and this chapter starts with the second book/movie –**_ _Catching Fire_

" _ **She was brave and strong and broken all at once"**_

 _ **~ Anna Funder ~**_

 _She was running as fast as she could, the branches scratching at her arms as she passed with thorns occasionally digging into her skin. She could hear growls echoing from behind her, each getting closer and multiplying as if they were breeding one every second. Her breath came out in harsh bursts, the exhaustion begging her to stop but she knew she couldn't._

 _If she stopped, even for a second … she'd die._

 _A female scream of terror fell through the air somewhere around her but she couldn't quite tell where it was coming from. As soon as it started, it soon vanished as quick as it came. A cannon sounded above her. She dared to look over her shoulder just for a second, thinking she heard the mutts getting quieter, however by doing this, she wasn't looking where her feet were going._

 _She tripped._

 _Her body tumbled down to the ground in a painful heap. Her teeth ground together in pain, a wince filling her features when her ankle twisted the wrong way. Her heart stuttered to a near stop when the growls got louder again and by this time, they were_ _ **so very close**_ _. She tried to stumble to her feet again but all she did was fall back on the rotten leaves. As if a minute passed by in a second – she was met with the horrifying sight of three pairs of red eyes staring at her, sharp teeth pointed in a terrifying growl._

 _She completely froze - not even able to reach for her weapons. She knew there was no chance she'd reach for them in time and her life just flashed before her eyes._

 _Her scream filled the forest as each mutt pounced on her and tore into her flesh like a shiny new toy. Blood spattered everywhere and all she could see was red. Another cannon echoed in the distance…_

…

Caroline Winters, the victor of the 68th Hunger Games, stared out towards the sea, her head resting against the window pane. Her blank expression occasionally letting out a small tear from the corner of her eye as the sun sparkled against the water. It looked so serene, so calm, so inviting … unlike her. Nothing about her felt right anymore. It's almost like she's fighting every second to even keep a level head above water.

As much as she hated Victor's village for what it meant, it was nice to live in a place right next to the water with very few people surrounding her. Before her games, she lived in a small one-bedroom place that was only big enough for her and her little brother Evan. It had a small kitchen and bathroom – all they ever needed besides each other. It was all she could afford with the little money she was able to make.

Her parents passed away a couple years between each other when she was 12 and 16. She passed away during the birth of her brother, due to complications. Her father died during a fishing accident at sea during a heavy storm. She had to start providing for her brother after her parents passed and there were no other living relatives that could take them in. She knew that if she didn't do something, she'd lose her baby brother too and that was something she couldn't live with. He meant _everything_ to her.

Her little brother turned 12 as of this year and she was now at the ripe age of 24. He was literally half her age and sometimes he acted more like an adult every day. She wished he would just stay a kid but with everything that's happened, she couldn't blame him. At just four years old he had to see his sister nearly die on a TV screen multiple times. She was the only thing he had in his memory, the only family he had left. Clearly, he didn't remember their mother, he was a newborn when she died, and he was only four at the time their father vanished from their lives.

At the time of her games, there had been an older woman living beside them in the area – her own daughter had been reaped for the games and unfortunately never returned. She offered to take care of Evan while she was away and promised that if anything should happen to her, he would be well cared for. She could still remember her reaping as if it were yesterday … she still had nightmares about it.

 _Seventeen-year-old Caroline Winters stood within the crowd, occasionally looking around her to see just who she could recognize within her age group. There were a lot of girls she remembered from school before she left but of course everyone would be here. It was an obligation – mandatory._

 _There haven't been many people who have volunteered for The Hunger Games in District 4 but there were still some who had the guts to do it. If you're from District 1 and 2, however, then it might be a different story. There was at least one volunteer every year, sometimes even both tributes will go at it._

 _She tuned out part way through and glanced back at the crowd of parents and loved ones waiting for all of this to be over. She could see her little brother standing beside her neighbor, Ms. Jenkins. Caroline was standing at the end of the row and right by the middle aisle so she could see him wrapped around the older woman's leg, keeping close to her like he was told._

 _The usual speech continued for a couple of minutes, the same things that were spouted out every year. Not a single word was missing from the repeat. The video they played was also the same … always the same._

 _It was only when she heard her name being called into the microphone that her heart froze stiff._

" _And our female tribute is … Caroline Winters!" There was silence surrounding her. She didn't move a muscle as shock and terror secretly rattled her to the core. "Caroline, where are you dear?"_

 _After hearing her names called one more time her feet started to walk numbly past everyone and towards the stage. She could hear peacekeepers stomping up behind her, probably making sure she didn't try to run off or do something stupid. It wouldn't be the first time that's happened. She didn't meet anyone's gaze as she passed them, too busy trying to keep herself together as her brother started crying next to Ms. Jenkins. He was only five and he knew exactly what her name being called meant._

 _And it broke her heart._

 _The only pair of eyes that did meet her own were very familiar to her – he was standing to one side of the stage next to an older woman in her late fifties._

 _Finnick Odair._

 _His face had a look of horror and anguish when he gazed into her eyes. You could see that he wanted to say something but knew it would only make things worse – he kept his lips shut. Caroline and Finnick were the same age. The two of them have been best friends ever since early childhood. Now he had to potentially see his best friend die in the hands of the Capitol, just like so many countless other children have before her._

Caroline sometimes thought it was pure luck she even managed to survive her games. She was skilled in a few things, having been trained on the side with Finnick and on her own with a lot of practice as they grew up. During the finale, she managed to stay alive just a little longer, just for a couple more seconds than the male district five tribute. She was announced the winner and saved at the last minute. She could still smell the mutt's breath gorging at her, making her want to hurl every time she thought about it.

She didn't have any remaining scars from her experiences in the arena all thanks to the Capitol. Even if you couldn't see the physical wounds, there were mental scars replacing them and they were scarred into her nightmares every night. She'd wake up screaming just a few hours later or she wouldn't know where she was. There was only one person who could bring her back from the brink, calm her down and bring her back to reality. He was the only one close to her who really understood what she was going through.

Her hand briefly grazed the side of her neck where her largest wound had been. Sometimes she wished there was a scar still there, maybe then she wouldn't be going through half of what she's having to right now. Even with dark bags underneath her eyes and being a little pale from the lack of sleep, she could still see that Capitol persona beating through the real her. Another reason her brother acted older than he was – he knew the truth. The truth of what she's going through in order to keep him alive.

Caroline removed her head from the window pane and turned away from the window. The sun was starting to rise and she knew exactly what that meant. Today was the 75th Quarter Quell – 75 years of The Hunger Games. The participants were to be chosen in just a matter of hours and she already knew who they were going to be.

In District 4; there were only four people to chose from. One male and three female. Finnick was going to be chosen since he was the only male victor left in the district. There had been another but he died many years before Finnick was even reaped. There were three females to choose from; it was either her, Annie Cresta, someone who was like a sister to her, and Mags, someone she looked up to, like a mother almost. She knew that if one of them was to be chosen, she'd volunteer in a heartbeat. Annie would never make it and neither would Mags, both for varying reasons.

There was also another reason as to why she was volunteering. Two, in fact. The first was because of Finnick – there was no way in hell she was going to let him go back into that arena without her. She couldn't lose him, not after everything they've been through together. She could never live with herself if he died in there and left her all alone. The second was a secret except for the special few. This plan was known by many of the trusted victors among the districts and that included her and Finnick. It was ludicrous and completely insane … but it might just work.

The plan had been worked on for months before they even found out. They didn't even know the details of what they had to do until after the announcement President Snow made on what the Quarter Quell. With cameras being everywhere - everything had to be shared as carefully as possible. Something different was going to happen during this year's games and they needed to act as protectors for two people in particular.

Over the past year; the two 74th winners from District 12 have been unknowingly making havoc throughout Panem. A spark had ignited within its people and pockets of them were starting to rebel against the Capitol. It was happening even here in her own district, it's why she's tried keeping her little brother away from the area and if he does go anywhere, it wasn't without her. The moment she saw Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark win by almost killing themselves together – she knew that this was the start of something. The small episodes throughout their games were also tell-tale signs something bigger was coming the Capitol's way.

The knowing victors knew that if anyone or anything could stop the Capitol – this was it – this was the rebellion the Districts needed to end the horror that's been inflicted upon them for generations.

 _ **Katniss Everdeen was the Mockingjay they needed to start a revolution.**_

Caroline didn't realize how caught up in her thoughts she really was because the sound of a door opening didn't even register in her mind. A pair of footsteps started making their way towards her direction after the door closed. She was momentarily startled when she felt someone's arms wrap around her middle in a safe and securing way. She instinctively tensed for a moment at the sudden gesture but when the swift smell of sea salt hit her nose she immediately relaxed into the person's arms.

She knew exactly who it was.

The person rested his head against the crook of her shoulder and in return she leaned into his chest.

"How long have we got?" She asked quietly, trying to savor the moment they were sharing. She leaned her head towards his own so the sides of their heads touched and hugged his arms that were resting around her middle.

The reaping was probably about an hour or two out given by how high the sun was now. She still needed to get her brother up. He finally went to sleep a couple of hours ago and it was only after hugging her body to sleep and listening to her voice as she told him a story. He knew what was coming today and he was scared to let her go, thinking that if he did, she'd disappear forever this time. Finnick was also scared of letting her go ever since the announcement but at least he would be going with her.

Finnick stared towards the same sunrise as she was and kept his hold strong, letting the strawberry smell of her hair comfort him a little. "About an hour." He replied softly. "Peacekeepers are gonna come and escort us just before eight." He was already wearing what needed to be worn. The prep teams and stylists weren't needed until they get to the Capitol for the parade so they got to wear whatever they wanted. It was nice to be alone before something like this.

"I should wake Evan." Caroline voiced her thoughts but acknowledged just how little time they had left. She turned away from the window again and towards the stairway.

Finnick finally released some of his grip and shook his head. "I'll do it." He said, "You still need to get ready." Nodding towards her attire of yesterdays clothing and how rough she looked. "There's still time for a shower."

Caroline raised an eyebrow as she turned to him, allowing his arms to stay attached to her waist. Her head tilted towards him with a quirk of her lips, "Are you saying I stink, Mr. Odair?" She playfully threatened.

Finnick let out a huff with a small grin on his lips, "Why I would never, Ms. Winters." He placed a hand over his heart in supposed innocence.

"Sure…" She drawled, dramatically rolling her eyes as if she didn't believe him one bit. Letting out a short laugh to ease the tension of what was to come, she reached over and kissed him. It was meant to be a quick one but she was quickly pulled back towards his chest and her arms wrapped around his neck. Their lips pressed together in a hungry fashion with their tongues conjoined a couple of times. His hands traveled up beneath her shirt and continued to keep her body flush against him. He didn't go any further but kept his fingertips tickled at her skin.

By the time they parted, they were panting hard and their foreheads were rested each other.

They knew this wasn't the time for anything more.

"I'm gonna go get ready now," Caroline said in a breathy tone, trying to catch her breath but didn't automatically move from her spot. Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She was sure his was also given by the slight redness against his neck and the way he was breathing. She looked up into his bright ocean blue eyes that were so beautiful to her, "I love you." This wasn't the first time she's saying it but she'd never get enough of how it sounded from her lips – and especially from his to her.

Finnick smirked and quipped, "I love you more." He gave her one last peck on the lips before reluctantly letting her go. There was probably half an hour left by now and as much as he hated to say it, he needed to let her get ready for the reaping. He glanced over to the ocean, folding it into his thoughts, given that this would probably be the last time he'll even be near it again, let alone smell the saltiness in the air.

He turned away with a sorrowful sigh one last time before following his girlfriend up the stairs.

 **~ Author's Note ~**

 **Hello my friends, I'm back … sort of.**

 **I know, I've basically been missing for about a year with promises of updating many of my stories … and when I do come back, I've started yet** _ **another**_ **story. Well, long story short, I pretty much gave up writing, unfortunately. I had amazing ideas that kept battering away in my head but every time I started to type, I stopped and criticized my own writing to a point where I couldn't do it anymore.**

 **Writing started to become a chore instead of a loved hobby like it used to be. After buying a new laptop last week, a little bit of my inspiration has come back to me but only in small pieces. Nothing yet has come back for everything else I've started. Also, people also started telling me how I was ruining their fandom by just adding an OC character and them taking someone else's lines. 'Plagiarising' the show/movie also came up once or twice. To those people I now tell you – if you don't like it, then don't bloody read it. I have a much longer and better response for you on my fanfiction profile if you'd like to read it as well. Just at the top, you'll see it.**

 **Now, this story idea and another are the two that are really pushing me to continue writing right now and I want to see where this goes. The other fanfic is for the Kingsman movies 1 &2 but I'm not too sure if I'm ready to publish the prologue just yet. **

**I've made an update to my profile on what's active, put on hiatus, ect… Nothing else has been discontinued! A lot of them are just on hiatus until further notice. Like I said, when the feeling comes, I'll write. I've also been slowly rewriting a few of my earlier fic's like 'Destiny', 'Goodbye, my love', 'Hello, my love' (Soon to be 'A Passing Tide' and 'The Impossible Girl'), and 'Ghost in the Moonlight (GONE)'. Once that's done I think I'll be ready to start updating them again as well when the drive comes back.**

 **I hope you guys like the start of this one – I have a good feeling about it :)**

 **FOLLOW, FAV, AND REVIEW!**

 **Lisa Anne xx**


	2. The Time Has Come

**Note: Forgot to mention that the actress lookalike for Caroline Winters is Candice King but with long hair. Enjoy!**

" _ **Everything I've never done, I want to do with you"**_

 _ **~ William Chapman ~**_

 **CHAPTER 1**

 **The Time Has Come**

Caroline Winters felt a horrible wave of deja-vu as she stood in front of the stage where all the reapings took place every year, located inside of the towns square. There was a light brush of wind in the sky and the sun beamed down on them, making the air feel as though they were all wrapped in a warm hug. Not likely, though, given what today was going to bring.

She stood in a three-way roped off area on the left side of the stage, just below it with Annie Cresta and Mags either side of her. In another confined area, off to the right, was Finnick standing on his own closed off space.

She silently craved his comfort, for his arms to be wrapped around her … even just a hand to hold. Their eyes met for a second and judging by the way he gazed at her, he was feeling the exact same way. She tried thinking of this morning and the way she felt with him being within pressing distance. It made her feel a little better, but not by much. She had to make do with the longing sensations driving through her.

She finally broke eye contact with him to observe everything happening around her. Her eyes wandered briefly towards the fish-like glass bowls stationed on the stage, sitting on their own stands. One had three small folded slips of paper - the other had one. Usually, those bowls were jam-packed with names but this year there were very little choice lambs to pick from. Caroline couldn't help but let a frown of disgust fill her features as she stared at them.

Those objects literally held people's live in hostage.

Part of her was glad that this year innocent children wouldn't be sent into the arena … to kill each other off. To lose their innocence like so many had before. However, in saying that, _they_ were now the chosen cattle that would fight to the death. Even though this year would be different, she was sure many people would still die, especially those who weren't in the loop of what was going to happen next. Only the select few knew what was going to happen. Not all the details, but enough for it to help the cause and reach the ultimate goal.

Deep down; the main reason she was immensely relieved about the change of tributes is that her brother had just turned 12. In the Hunger Games, tribute ages started at 12 and went all the way up to 18. Her brother's name would have been placed in the reaping bowl. President Snow's smirking features flashed before her eyes and her throat tightened in response. She wouldn't have put it past him to hijack the reaping nomination and make her brother's name pop out as the choice.

She imagined what would happen when the Hunger Games were over … for good. It wasn't a perfect world, but it would be safe. Children wouldn't be forcefully sacrificed for the amusement of the sick individuals in the Capitol. Victors wouldn't be toyed with, punished for winning, or be made to do something they would never want to do willingly. Another result she pictured - her brother would never have to know the fear of potentially being reaped to die like she did, like their parents and their parents before they did.

She imagined everyone she cared for being free from all this death and poison.

 _1800 children_.

That's the count of murdered children … caused by the Hunger Games. That total also included the victors of the past 74 games because whether they want to admit it or not, the moment they were thrust into that arena, they would never become who they were again. You could even say that for the districts that took pride in raising winners – they killed their children before even sending them out to die. Never having a childhood, never being anything other than a killing machine in the works.

Caroline felt a breath catch in her throat as she observed her District's escort, Adaline Carrows, prepare herself to be recorded for all of Panem to see. There were so many mixed emotions running through her veins that she couldn't clearly decipher which stood out the most. The two she wagered stood out the most would probably be a sense of worry and a touch of fear. She greatly worried for the safety of those few she cared for and she feared that not all of them would make it out of this alive.

In public appearances, she had to present herself in a different light to who she really was. She had to push away any other feelings that didn't correspond with that fake persona. Finnick also had to learn this technique given what they were forced to do on a regular basis. She reckoned it's the main reason to how they've kept at least a little sane over the years. It's also kept them safe, well … as safe as one could be in their position.

Caroline peered over her shoulder just as she had done during her first reaping seven years ago. She saw her little brother being wrapped in a sidewards hug with Ms. Jenkins. She kept him close to her side with her arm around his shoulders. She was a little shorter than Caroline by a couple of inches but a bit taller than her brother. Looking closer, she could see just how tightly her brother was gripping the woman's jacket as the nerves raced through his skin.

The space between her and the two was considerably smaller given that there wasn't an entire population of District 4 kids standing in the way. There wasn't a reaching distance for her to comfort her little brother but at least they weren't as far apart as last time. There were tears lining around his eyes and he appeared to be trying his hardest to keep it together … to be brave. Her heart tore silently because she knew what needed to be done.

This could possibly be the last time she ever saw him again so she took in a mental picture to remind herself of what he looked like. He had grown up so much over the past seven years and he definitely grew into their father's look. A mop of brown shaggy hair that reached just above his ears, matching perfectly with his wide chocolate doe eyes. He was about a quarter shorter than she was right now but it was very likely he'd grow a lot taller during his future growth spurt. Her father had been quite a tall man when he was alive.

She took after her mother in looks that started with the golden locks that fell down in perfect curls. A few strands could be detected with her father's hair color but all it did was make her hair look recently highlighted. It wasn't true, of course. Her eyes sparkled with green emeralds yet always had a dark cloud behind them that showed she felt older than she looked. Her features are what the Capitol favored of her as well as the skills she showed in the arena. She was disgustingly tantalizing to them and she felt a sickening churn in her stomach every time she thought about it.

As her eyes briefly connected with Ms. Jenkins - their last conversation came to mind. It was a couple of hours after the Quarter Quell had been announced and Finnick agreed to look after her bother while she went out. As soon as she knew her brother was in good hands, she went to see one of the very few people she would trust her brother with.

…

 _Ms. Jenkins instantly wrapped her arms around Caroline the moment she stepped through the threshold. The woman closed her eyes and let Caroline lean into her. She had seen the announcement given to Panem and the Capitol – the whole District had. Flashbacks of the day Caroline and her own daughter stood in the face of death popped back into her head. She hugged the young woman a little tighter in her arms._

 _They stayed there for a few seconds before the two equally pulled apart. There were tears in both of their eyes because they knew full well that none of this was fair. Caroline had to take a moment to find her voice. There was a reason she was here in the first place._

" _Mary, somethings going to happen," Caroline spoke in a quiet voice, knowing that someone could potentially be listening in at any time. She needed to be careful, they all did. "I know it's a lot to ask but I need you to look after Evan. I need to know he's safe." As her words continued, they steadily became pleads of hope._

 _Ms. Jenkins looked a little bewildered because she would have done that anyway. Something that did catch her attention more than anything was how final the young woman sounded as she pleaded for her brother to be taken care of. It felt final … as if she knew something bad was going to happen … something other than the life-threatening game she was likely to be forced back into. "Of course, dear." She replied, "You don't even have to ask."_

 _Ever since meeting the two roughly a year before Caroline's game, she felt the connection she hasn't felt since before her daughter was reaped for the Games. She felt a pang in her heart when she thought of her little girl, the one who never got the chance to grow into the amazing woman she was bound to have become. She would have been about Caroline's age by now. It's probably why she felt so protective of the two siblings. They were all she had left._

 _Caroline looked and felt physically relieved by the spoken words._

" _I can't tell you specifically when but when the time comes – you_ _ **need**_ _to run." She continued in the same volume. Caroline knew that as soon as President Snow works out what's been going on – all hell was going to let loose. Since she's apart of this plan, he'd come after the things she cares about. He would do the same for every other victor too, whether they were in on the plan or not. The ones that have someone they love left – they were being told to run when the moment comes._

 _Her tone turned solemn as she gripped at the woman's shoulders, looking into her eyes. "These games aren't going to be anything like the others and it's not just because victors will be competing against each other. Someone will be waiting for you two, Annie, and Mags by the tree line-" She passed over a small gadget in place in the woman's hands, curling her fingers around it into a ball. "-when this beeps. You take Evan and you go to them straight away. They'll keep you safe." She paused, trying to determine what might be running through the older woman's eyes. "Do you understand me?"_

 _Ms. Jenkins stared at the young girl in a worried confusion. "Caroline … what are you going to do?" She could hear the protectiveness behind the words, they just didn't make sense to her._

 _Caroline could only stare for a moment in silence. She already knew no more knowledge could be shared above what she had already said. It could be detrimental to the plan and even though she trusted this woman with her life – even with her brothers, but she didn't want her to have to carry the knowledge of what was about to happen._

" _What I must, Mary." Caroline let out a slow breath as the reality of the situation dawned on her, "I have to play my part."_

…

It wasn't until she heard Adaline's high pitched cough coming through the microphone that she realized the show had started. She could see the cameras activate around them, turning on and mechanically move around. She positioned herself to look forwards but did take another look over to Finnick as he too noticed everything was starting now. She let out an uneasy breath, trying to calm her heart down and throw up her façade to hide what she really felt.

Adaline Carrows has been the District 4 escort for a little over five years. That was a fairly long time considering they usually only stayed in their positions for 3-4 years at the most. It was the same with District 12's escort Effie Trinket. She's been in her position for roughly the same time, maybe even a little longer. She couldn't imagine willingly accepting their job – to be picking children to die in a horrific game.

The woman wore an obnoxiously large salmon pink feathered dress that dropped to the middle of her calves. It fit her curves tightly that looked a little too unnatural without the help of surgery. Her arms were covered in dozens of bangles that color matched her dress. Her make-up looked as it usually did but this time there were paler colors. Her skin had a warmer tone to it but could barely be seen underneath all the stuff she plastered on it.

As terrible as the escort looked and the fact that her job was one of the worst anyone could volunteer for – she was a unique but occasionally decent person. Very deluded and too happy a lot of the time … but she was also caring in her own way. Over the years she's dulled down quite a lot but there are moments when someone would want to ring her neck.

Caroline carefully observed her for a second, noticing the way she tried to stall a little while hovering around the microphone, playing with her wigged hair. Anyone could see she had nowhere near the usual pep in her step. This was a reaping she certainly wasn't looking forward to by the looks of it.

"Welcome … everyone." Adaline started in a very subdued voice. Her eyes gazed around the crowd, seeing so many eyes looking towards her on center stage. As usual, no one was cheering, they kept quiet to see what was going to happen and it was the same every year. "As we celebrate the 75th anniversary and 3rd Quarter Quell of the Hunger Games." The air was filled with an uncomfortable silence. She cleared her throat, "And … as always … ladies first."

Everyone watched as she slowly stepped over to the bowl on her right side, the one containing the three slips of paper. She gave them an unnecessary shuffle before finally picking one, taking it out of the cauldron. Caroline could practically feel the redhead shaking next to her and tears were falling down her cheeks. Mags looked calm, almost at peace with the fact that she might be chosen. Caroline felt her heart stutter and a lump in her throat as the piece of paper unfolded at what felt like a snail's pace.

"The female tribute from District 4 is … _Annie Cresta_!"

At the sound of her name being called, the young girl next to the blonde started crying hysterically as a shriek left her mouth. In the corner of her eye, Caroline could see Mag's getting ready to volunteer. That was something she couldn't allow to be done. Before Mags could even take that place … she took a small step forwards with half a hand raised.

"I volunteer as tribute!"

It took a couple of moments for everyone to register what just happened. Once it passed; she felt someone collide with her and arms wrap around her neck. A head bowed into her shoulder and a wet patch started to grow against her shirt.

Caroline wrapped her arms around her in response, holding the younger girl tightly like an older sister would. " _Shh_ ," She whispered gently into her ear in a comforting way, stroking the red hair with a light brush, " _Annie, everything's going to be okay_." Annie kept muttering mixed words of gratitude and apologies. It was mostly all a jumbled mess.

Finnick already knew it was coming but he still couldn't help but feel his heart clench as he watched the woman he loved sacrifice herself for another. He watched in grief as she tried to comfort Annie and calm her down. Mag's stood to the side but took the opportunity to hug the blonde and give her a kiss on the cheek. Mag's eventually took over and held Annie as she continued to cry.

Everyone in the District watched as Caroline climbed up to the stage to stand next to their escort.

"And our female tribute is … _Caroline Winters_."

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	3. Who Are We Up Against?

" _ **Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."**_

 _ **Martin Luther King Jr.**_

 **CHAPTER 2**

 **Who Are We Up Against?**

" _This year you will be facing other Victors … capitol favorites … smart, cunning, skilled … they all know one another … and you two are the outsiders."_

…

" _I want you guys to forget everything you think you know about the Games … last year was child's play … this year, you're dealing with all experienced killers."_

…

It was a day after all the reapings were complete when Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark found themselves inside the Capitol. They were in nearly an exact replica of the apartment they were placed in last year for the 74th Hunger Games.

This year the Capitol built a new training center for all the Victors, and it was specially created for this year's Quarter Quell. It was a bit bigger than the year previous but still had the exact same layout. Every inch of every room still looked far too advanced for any District, baring the career Districts.

As usual; they were thrown into the suite on the top floor. Since the Hunger Games started, District 12 has always been given the top floor while District 1 would be on the first floor. The District numbers went up with each floor, so all in all, the building itself had twelve floors, not including the ground floor.

The only nice thing about the training center is that they were on the top floor with a nice view, if they wanted to see the city from afar, of course. Last year it was learned that they could change the scenery on the window so really, if they wanted to pretend they were somewhere else, they could. Although, even that was far stretching for what they really felt about this place.

"Cashmere and Gloss." Haymitch Abernathy started to introduce after getting the videos ready to play. He pointed to the TV screen hanging from the wall next to him. "Brother and sister from District 1. They won back-to-back games. They're Capitol favorites so that means they're gonna get lots of sponsors."

The two people on the screen were the definition of a Victor from a career district. Even though they were from a Career District; the two teenagers could begin to imagine what the two must be feeling about this. The two siblings will go head-to-head and one of them will die. Only one person was going to get out of this arena alive, just like every year. Katniss was sure President Snow would never let what happened last year go on repeat. It's why she was planning on making Peeta win no matter what.

Cashmere and Gloss were probably in their late twenties from what they could tell. They were shown on stage to be holding hands while smiling brightly towards everyone in the crowd. The two were already working their magic to gain as many sponsors as possible. Their attire was simple, but it gave an aura of power. Everything about them looked styled to perfection to make a lasting impression.

"They WILL be lethal."

Haymitch clicked a button on the gadget in his hand when he pointed it briefly towards the screen. The video changed to the next one in line. The next two tributes looked different from the last two. They appeared to be more enthusiastic that they were chosen to participate in this year's Hunger Games. It was their chance for more glory and wealth. They cheered loudly with their hands raised in celebration. It was obvious they were going to be allies in the arena – all the Career Victors probably would be.

"And the other half of the Career Pack we Brutus and Enobaria-"

"-what's with her teeth?" Katniss interrupted him. She couldn't help but notice how sharp the female tribute's teeth seemed to be. It made her a little uneasy inside as she frowned confusingly at the screen. She wondered why someone would do such a thing and the answer wasn't likely to be pretty.

The video zoomed in to show the audience the danger of Enobaria's mouth. All her teeth looked incredibly sharp and certainly not what real teeth were supposed to look like. They had clearly been changed specifically to look like that.

"She had them filed into fangs, so she could rip people's throats out." Haymitch answered bluntly. His eyes wandered over to the tributes sitting on the couch in front of him. _At least they're paying attention and asking questions,_ he thought. Katniss was going to be the hardest one of the two when it comes to playing the cards right. He'll have to figure out some way for her to make allies.

Haymitch Abernathy knew there was no way he was letting these two teenagers die. In part it was because of what was to come, however, it wasn't just that - he could even say he's come to care for them in a way he hasn't brought himself to do in 25 years.

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark were the hope Panem needed right now.

"Well … she's committed." Peeta commented, looking a little uneasily at the woman. He made a mental note to keep Katniss and himself away from her, "I'll give her that."

The man just gave a nonchalant shrug since he knew that was a decent thing to say, despite the possible ending result of being on someone's bad side.

Enobaria's games were probably the bloodiest of all of them … in recent history. Truthfully, she did rip out other children's' throats inside that arena. Seven to be exact. Secretly, he always made sure to stay away from the woman. There were only a fair few Victors he had good contacts with but even then, only some were tolerable.

He clicked to the next video.

"Wiress and Beetee." Haymitch went on as a video of an older male and female walked onto the stage. The couple stood in front of a District 3 banner draped behind them. The younger District 12 Victors predicted the two of them to be in their late thirties to forties. "They're not fighters but they are brilliant. Weird and real tech-savvy." He paused for a moment then pointed to the male, "He won his Games by electrocuting six tributes at once."

Katniss raised an eyebrow of surprise at the body count. She silently stared at the man who gave the crowd a small smile, even if it looked forced. He didn't look overly dangerous and neither did the woman, nothing like the District 1 and 2 Victors at least. However, even she knew looks could be deceiving. She studied Wiress closer and quickly noticed how blank her face appeared. It was almost as if she wasn't completely there.

The next pair of Victors that graced the screens didn't look at all well. With the way they were shakily standing, one would have thought they'd been dragged around a few hundred times before being forced to stand up on the stage. Their bodies looked hollow and incredibly skinny with sickly skin. They certainly haven't been taking very well care of themselves since winning the Hunger Games. Not that anyone could blame them…

"The morphlings. Masters of camouflage." The mentor gradually moved over to the other side of the screen as he continued, "Basically, won their Games by hiding until everyone else was dead." A small smile started slipping onto his lips, "Self-medicating ever since … which I applaud." _God,_ _I miss my alcohol…_ "Not a threat."

Everyone in the room already knew who the next person was when he appeared on the screen.

"Finnick Odair, right?" Katniss guessed correctly, already knowing she was right. Caesar Flickerman and the other commentators would constantly go on about all the previous Victors, every year. The run-through would play just before the new Games were to begin.

For this particular Victor, however, it wasn't just the gossip on screen. He was mostly known to be a lady's man in the Capitol. That's _one_ of the reasons why they love him so much. The skills he had shown in the arena also gave him brownie points. She imagined the man already had a line of sponsors begging to be in his court.

Finnick Odair was a strikingly handsome man with incredibly defined muscles and body features. The video played with him giving the crowd a wave as he made his way up to the stage – he was grinning in a cute way that would make any lady swoon to their knees. He wore a white cotton long-sleeved shirt that was snug around his body. There was something hanging around his neck, a necklace, something he seemed to value greatly given that every time he's been on screen that Katniss can remember, he's always worn it.

It was a small beautiful shell hanging from a black threaded string. One would have said the designs appear to be similar to polka dots but the circles were a bit wavy in quality. The back colors were a mix of black and grey that shaded together quite nicely. The crinkled circles had some ashen blue with seagrass strands running through it. Even though the two sets of colors were vastly different, they still blended in perfectly. It looked unique and precious all at the same time.

"Yes." Haymitch answered afterward and pointed to the screen, "He won his Games at 14. Youngest ever." It was true. In all of the years up until Finnick's Games, no child at the age of 14 and below had won. For the most part, it was the oldest of the tributes that had the better luck of winning and it either came out to strength, skill, or how well you can play a multitude of people into getting what you want.

Finnick was one of the Victor's he was personally close to. The same sentiment went for the other three Victors in District 4.

"Extremely _humble_." The man finished with a blunt tone but really, it was a silent sarcastic remark.

Katniss couldn't help but let out a snort, "You're kidding." She stated with a raised eyebrow, not believing him at all. There was no way _that man_ was humble, at least not by the looks of him. Judging by all the footage she's seen of him over the years, there was no way that man could be anything more than an annoying self-centered tool. She made a mental note to keep a look out on him from now on since he's probably one of the more dangerous tributes in the arena. She needed to protect Peeta from a lot of people by the looks of it.

Haymitch rolled his eyes, "Yes, I'm kidding." He replied shortly, making little gestures like flipping his hair. He was imitating the younger male. Even though he liked Finnick because deep down, he was a good guy with good intentions. It's just that the man could be a lot to handle sometimes. "He's a peacock. A total preener. But he's the Capitol darling. They love him here. Charming, smart, and very skilled at combat. _Especially_ in water."

"What about weaknesses?" Peeta was the one to ask.

The man let out a sigh before switching to the next video.

Peeta leaned forwards with his elbows resting on his knees. He narrowed his eyes in observation as the female tributes of the District came into view. The short clip showed how the tribute in the middle of the three volunteered herself for the Games to save another. All three of them knew who that was just as much as they knew who Finnick Odair is. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back in perfect curls but was pinned back to the sides so everyone could see her face. She wore a pair of black fitted pants and an ocean blue long-sleeved blouse made of a thin cloth.

"Caroline Winters." Peeta answered his own question before Haymitch could get a word out.

"Yeah," The Mentor nodded to him while glancing over at the screen once more. "Caroline Winters. She's the one-person Finnick will do absolutely _everything_ in his power to protect. He would quite literally die for her. Best friends since childhood and just like Finnick, she's also a favorite in the Capitol."

Katniss tilted her head as she eyed the Victor a little closer, "Isn't she the girl who killed more than half the tributes?" It was unusual for a tribute to gain such a massive kill count. For the most part; it was more common for the winner to get 6-9 kills if they were trying. With the number of tributes in the arena every year; the total of murders were spread out among the group, mainly the Career Pack.

"That she is." He confirmed with another nod, "Her Games were … _interesting._ "

"That's one way to put it," Peeta inserted with a disbelieving scoff. He remembered what happened during the 68th Hunger Games and he doubted anyone would forget either. She was the one tribute he felt sorry for at the time because, in her interview, she mentioned how she was the sole carer for her baby brother. Her parents were both dead and they were all alone. She fought as hard as she did to get back to the last family she had left. "It was like everyone seemed to go after _her_ in particular, even people in lower Districts tried having a go at her."

It never made any sense to him.

On the screen, they watched as Finnick ignored the District escort and went straight to Caroline. He wrapped her in a tight hug against his chest, kissing the top of her head. He whispered something in her ear and received a small smile in response but there was still a tenseness in both their features. Anyone would have to be blind not to see how much Finnick truly cared for the girl. He leaned back and just stared at her for a moment, resting his palm against her cheek as they stared at each other like they were the only two there.

Finnick seemed to refuse letting go of her as they were escorted away.

"But why?" Katniss questioned, tearing herself away from the screen. "Why go after her more than anyone else?" She recalled that year too and she had to agree with Peeta on that statement. That year; the Careers went straight after Caroline the moment they gathered everything they needed. They did kill everyone else who happened to be in their path but Caroline seemed to be their number one target.

The 68th Hunger games strangely also became the year known for only having 17-year-old participants for tributes. None one was below that age and for most people, it wasn't believable to be a coincidence.

Haymitch could only shrug with a strange look on his face, "No one knows." He answered after a second, "All I'll say is that President Snow didn't look particularly happy when she was crowned the winner."

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	4. The Parade

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" _ **You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'"**_

 _ **~ Eleanor Roosevelt ~**_

 **CHPATER 3**

 **The Parade**

Caroline stepped into the auditorium, all prepped and ready to go as the tribute parade got closer. It's been a couple of years since she last saw her stylist and prep team, so as expected, they were incredibly excited to be working on her again. They mentioned a few times that she had been their favorite tribute to work on over the years. She kept silent as they rambled, just wanting it all to be over and done with. Luckily it didn't take too long since she had to groom herself quite often as it was.

Her stylist, Pearl, wasn't too bad for a person if you discount the fact that she dresses people up to be executed, year after year. Her taste in style was still impeccable because as much as she hated to admit it, the outfits she's been given over the years were amazing. The same could be said for the dress she was currently wearing right now.

It was a simple design with nothing too extravagant compared to what it could have been. It was toned to a color blue that reminded her of the ocean back home in District 4 with a dark undertone of teal mixed in. The material was some kind of silk so it felt cool against her skin. The neckline plunged just enough that her breasts were adequately covered. At the same time, it still showed off every perfect feature her body had to offer and every curve was perfectly sculpted within the fabric. As much as it disgusted her to know, she knew the Capitol would go crazy for any bit of skin she was showing.

The front of the skirt reached to the top edge of her knees while the back draped down to the floor so it dragged slightly. She wore a pair of black sandal heels with three silver-jeweled embellished straps above her toes and another around her ankle to keep the shoe on. Her hair had light curls in it that was pinned back a little with a crown of pearls centered on the top of her head. The gems glittered in the light and shone against her strawberry blonde hair.

She gazed around the room to see that the majority of past Victors had already arrived and most were just standing by their chariots with their district partners. A lot of them she knew, a few she did not. Some as passing acquaintances, and others a little closer that she could almost say they were friends. For the most part, the Victors only got along (loosely speaking) because they were all stuck on the same path. Victors had very few endings and their futures were more or less already determined up until the moment they die.

There were only two people, in particular, she was interested in finding at this moment in time.

Caroline was momentarily startled when she felt a loose breath enter her left ear and a pair of hands gently grasp her hips. She felt a heat against her back as a chest leaned into her. A head tilted into her shoulder, connecting with her hair slightly as a husky voice appeared with it.

"Can I just say … you look positively scrumptious in that dress, Miss Winters."

She already knew who it was since no one else would dare touch her without expecting a broken bone … possibly a skull, maybe even a pelvis and some family jewels to add on.

Caroline couldn't help but let out a smile from the compliment. Her eyes brightened a little, despite where they were and what they were being thrust into. The tone of his voice made her shiver a little with goosebumps making their way to the surface. "Thank you, Mr. Odair." She replied when a grin started growing on her lips. She moved away from him slightly, ready to turn and face him. "And you look…"

Her voice all of a sudden switched to mute and it vanished from her vocal cords. She silently took in what Finnick was wearing … or _not_ wearing would have been more precise. Her eyes slowly trailed down his body, from head to toe, but mostly focused in between.

The man had a golden net wrapped around his waist that tied together with a single thick brown belt. The material draped to the middle of his thighs and on his feet were barefoot black sandals. His upper half was the part she couldn't stop herself from ogling at – there was no piece of clothing in sight. His chest, arms, and shoulders were out to bare for the world to see. She's seen him in fewer clothes than this, none even and probably hundreds of time by now, but it still caught her off guard, especially as his buff muscles popped out.

He looked strappingly _hot_.

She appreciated the fact that he still had that special shell necklace around his neck. This time, however, it was accompanied by a shorter one with blue gems and crystals. The colors matched perfectly with the color of her dress. She suspected it was planned considering everyone knew her favorite color was blue.

Finnick continued to stand in front of her, now accompanied with an amused look on his face. A confident smirk slowly crept onto his lips. He arched an eyebrow as he waited for an answer and the end of that sentence. "Yes?" He drew out, wiggling his eyebrows towards her, "I look…?"

Caroline felt a small blush stain on her cheeks and luckily the skin-tone foundation managed to hide the majority of it. She cleared her throat, trying to put herself back together without looking like a complete fool. "You look good." She finally told him after a moment, looking back up when his deep ocean blue eyes stared at her.

Finnick's shoulders dropped a little as a little pout followed. "That's it?" The blonde couldn't help but find the look rather cute. She could tell he was playing with her and she loved their light banters.

"I'm not contributing to that ego of yours, Fin," Caroline told him with a little cheeky smile on her lips. Finnick's ego could rival the size of the Capitol but even then … she loved him all the same.

"Besides," She continued before placing her hands on his broad shoulders and chest, reaching on her tiptoes a little to whisper something in his ear. "You might find out how much I _really_ love that on you when we get back to the apartment." Given their age and skill, neither of them needed a Mentor for the Games this year. Annie and Mags were supposed to be back in District Four but if all has gone according to plan, it's likely they'll be somewhere safe by now, as well as her brother.

Apart from Adaline, who served as a wake-up call in the mornings - they had the entire apartment to themselves.

Finnick felt a wave of anticipation rush through his body like adrenaline as he rolled his shoulders back.

Caroline pretended not to see the giddy smile appear on his face as she turned away from his face and looked over her shoulder. Her eyes suddenly zeroed in on one of the two people she hasn't met so far out of all the Victors that remained alive.

 _Katniss Everdeen._

The young woman wore a very different get-up compared to everything that's been thrown on her body in the last year. The blonde raised an eyebrow in surprise but couldn't help but be impressed at the same time. She wore a beautiful black dress with ingrains of glitter shimmering against the material. Everything about her screamed _power_. She radiated confidence, even if she might not completely believe that herself. Her hair had some strong volume with long curls hanging down the sides of her shoulders. There seemed to be some kind of black vine weaved into a crown on the top of her head, somewhat like her own but matching her own outfit.

"I really hope Cinna doesn't do anything stupid," Caroline muttered quietly to herself as she took in Katniss Everdeen's appearance. She had a feeling there was more to that outfit than meets the eye and it probably won't be the first time. "He'll get himself killed if he isn't careful."

Finnick bypassed their previous conversation to tune into what she was staring at. He quickly took notice of what she saw and sadly remembered where they were again … what they were _prepared_ to do and what they were _going_ to do. "Hmm." He hummed with a small nod, a grim look crossing his features as he rubbed a palm against the showing skin of her arm.

Neither of them knew Cinna too well, only having met from passing conversations that shared a near-impossible goal. For someone who was born in the Capitol and essentially worked to dress dead children, he had a pretty stable head and genuine heart. He wanted what was best – he wanted a better world. They knew he was committed to doing whatever it takes to destroy Snow's reign and to end the Hunger Games for good, making it a distant past. Everyone involved knew what the possible ramifications could be, whether they succeeded or not.

"I think it's about time I go meet the Girl on Fire and introduce myself," Finnick concluded after a moment, nodding to himself as if he had just made up his mind. He suddenly produced a couple of sugar cubes within his palm and chucked one in the air, catching it as it fell before holding it out to Caroline.

Caroline turned back, giving him a look as she accepted the sugar cube being offered to her, "You mean you're going to go antagonize the poor girl."

Finnick looked affronted, "I would _never_ do such a thing." He replied with an innocent tone, "I'm simply going to see what we have to work with. I just want to know how thin-skinned our supposed ally is, that's all."

"Exactly," She countered with a eureka moment, "You'll bug her just enough to see what kind of reactions you get in response." He just proved her point in words. "You're lucky she hasn't got that bow with her. Even then, I bet she pulls a great punch." She let one of her shoulders give a shrug with a thoughtful look on her face, "I'd pay to see that."

Finnick gave her a look of betrayal as he poked her in the side, "Aren't you supposed to be on my side?" She reacted from the touch with a small laugh.

Caroline moved away from him a little to stop him from attacking her again. She rolled her eyes in exasperation before pushing him towards the direction of where Katniss was standing across the room. "Just don't make a fool of yourself sweetheart." She advised before putting the offered sugar cube in her mouth and watched as he strolled over.

…

" _Katniss."_

Katniss Everdeen tensed slightly as she heard a somewhat familiar man call her name. She stopped petting the horse for a second and peered over her shoulder. She was a little startled to see _the_ Finnick Odair making his way over to her.

She wasn't entirely surprised to see that he was wearing next to nothing for the Parade – it made sense, after all. The Capitol practically drooled over his charm and looks, judging by what she's seen and heard. That was something she certainly didn't have in common with them. Him looking the way he did just made her feel a little uneasy about being so close to him. She just wasn't all that into his looks as other people might be.

"Hello, Finnick." She didn't smile but was cautiously polite instead.

Finnick had a little grin on his face as he tossed a sugar cube into the air, catching it in the palm of his hand. He held it up from the girl to see, "Do you want a sugar cube?" He offered, stopping just a few steps away from her. "I mean, it's supposed to be for the horses, but…" He gestured to the horse waiting there next to them, "I mean, who cares about them, right? They've got years to eat sugar whereas you and I … well, if we see something sweet, we better grab it."

Katniss just pursed her lips and gave a small shake to her head, "No thanks," She declined, trying to shake off the feeling that the guy was trying to flirt with her. It made her a little more uneasy about being within his vicinity. "But I would love to borrow that outfit someday."

Finnick chuckled lightly, having enjoyed the response he received. He took a step back and observed everything about the _Girl on Fire_ in front of him. "You look pretty terrifying in that getup." He noted with a small tease in his tone. He recalled his previous thoughts that were probably shared with Caroline. "What happened to the pretty little girl dresses?"

Katniss, all of a sudden, felt incredibly annoyed by his presence altogether. "I outgrew them." She replied in a hard tone, hating the fact that she was being talked down to in this way. She felt the need to hold her ground and keep up this strong barrier she's used for years. Out of all the costumes Cinna's made for her since their meeting, she could honestly say this that one was her favorite. She felt confident, strong, and well, badass to say the least.

"You certainly did." He agreed with a small nod to his head and a grin. A thoughtful look came to him as he stared at her, almost as though he were trying to figure something out. "Shame about this Quell thing," He continued, pretending he was giving out some solid advice, "Now, you could've made out like a bandit in The Capitol. Jewels, money … anything you wanted."

The brunette didn't stop the roll of her eyes as a huff of displeasure left her lips, "Well, I don't like jewels and I have more money than I need so…" Clearly stating without saying it that she wasn't all interested in what he was trying to tell her. "What about you and that girl? Caroline, was it? What did you two do with all your wealth anyway?"

Katniss noticed a slight twitch in Finnick's eye when she mentioned Caroline Winters but didn't call it out. She tilted her head a little as she observed his reactions.

"Oh, we haven't dealt with anything as common in money in years." He told her.

"Then how do people pay for the pleasure of your companies?" She questioned again. It would take a blind person not to see what's actually been going on with the two ' _Capitol Darlings'_ in the terms of their current employment. Why else would they be going back and forth between the Capitol and their home District with strangers on their other arms? She couldn't help but feel a little disgusted by their chosen way of life. She would have never done something so revolting if what she's thinking is true, even if she turned out a little crazy in the head.

Finnick leaned in slightly so his lips nearly brushed the side of her cheek. " _With secrets_." He said with a softness to his voice as if he were divulging an important secret. The girl had a look of discomfort on her face as he stepped into her personal space. She noticed how his eyes turned a little harder than before. She leaned back a little as he continued, "What about you _Girl on Fire_ , any secrets worth my time?"

Katniss could only return with a small shrug in response, "I'm an open book." She replied honestly, "Everybody always seems to know my secrets before I know them myself." It was a little irritating that everyone seemed to know everything before she did. It also got on her nerves that others seemed to always think they knew what's best for her.

The man let out a dramatic sigh and nodded his head. "Unfortunately, I think that's true."

Katniss glanced over his shoulder slightly when she noticed two familiar people start making their way towards them. Inside she was very relieved. When Finnick caught her looking behind him, it prompted him to do the same.

He turned back to her with a sudden gaze of fake sorrow, "I'm sorry you had to cancel your wedding." He told her, not looking all that sympathetic at the moment. "I know how _devastating_ that must be for you." He didn't like it when he was reminded of certain things, especially when those certain things included the one he loved.

In regards to Peeta and Katniss's _relationship_ \- he could tell the signs of someone playing fake. Katniss was one of them, he believed. He noticed during last year's Hunger Games that for Peeta, it was real. He really meant every word he's said but Katniss hasn't lived up to that same standard. He'll admit she's been trying but there hasn't been anything to prove that the feelings are really there. Her ploy has started a revolution in the Districts so he'll give her that.

Finnick was also unconsciously a little bitter about the fact that Katniss and Peeta were openly _engaged_ and supposed to be _married_. He would never get that chance with Caroline, at least, not until they knew the plan had worked out.

Only a select few knew they were together and one of those certainly wasn't President Snow. It could never be announced that they were together because if it did, it could cause ramifications that neither of them is prepared for. It could also potentially mean a death sentence to the ones they cared about. They were the _Capitol Darlings_ and that's all anyone will ever know about them.

He just had to have hope that when this is all over, everyone will be free to do whatever they want. When that time comes, he'll do the one thing he's been wanting to do for years. He'll ask the one he loves for her hand in marriage. Even though at the time it would have never been a possibility, he had already picked out the ring he was going to give her.

It meant something incredibly special to him and Caroline Winters was the one person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She was the light at the end of this dark tunnel for him. The person that's always kept him sane, and vice versa. She's the one he's always going to fight for no matter the cost … even if it meant his own life.

…

"Fishboy isn't getting into trouble, is he?"

Caroline was still lightly sucking on the sugar cube in her mouth as she stood next to the District 4 carriage and horses. The smile on her lips grew a little more when she heard the familiar voice appear out of nowhere. She glanced over her shoulder to see the other person she had originally been trying to find.

 _Joanna Masen._

"I wouldn't bet against it." She admitted with a knowing grin on her lips. After Finnick walked away to introduce himself to the new girl, she began to slowly wander over to their chariot. There was probably about five minutes left until the show got on the road and she'd rather not be dragged by peacekeepers to get to her spot. She wouldn't put it past them to do just that.

Joanna Masen won the Hunger Games a couple of years ago during the 72nd, several years after she won her own in the 67th. Part of Caroline admired her in the way that she refused to bow down to President Snow's wishes and how she portrayed herself in the Games in order to win. However, in saying that, the consequences of those actions had been devastating to Joanna. President Snow had followed through on his threat when she refused to do as he asked.

If that had happened to Caroline – she honestly didn't think she'd be able to function as well as she did today, even with everything she's had to go through the last couple of years. If she lost her brother, the only family she had left, she'd be a broken shell of who she once was. Every fiber of her being wanted to tell President Snow to _shove it_ … but she couldn't. She couldn't risk those few she loved being taken away from her. Her nightmares would become a reality and that's something her mind could never handle.

Joanna came to a stop beside her in a not-so-unfamiliar outfit. Her dress wasn't exactly a dress, per say. It looked like a disarray of different materials and accessories that didn't match very well. Her hair a hue of red at the edges that didn't make sense unless she was meant to be imitating the Autumn season. The hair clips in her hair would make you think she's a plant pot. Her dress from the top of her breasts and downwards was made out of something like duct tape but in a color between black and brown. From her neck to the length of her arms she had painted leaves attached to her. Luckily it was still apart of the dress so she could rip it off at any given time.

Her makeup was probably the only thing that looked decent.

Caroline internally cringed at the attire she was witnessing. She didn't necessarily care for stylists in general but that's just ghastly. Everyone could clearly tell it looked tacky and very District 7. It wasn't incredibly surprising that Joanna wasn't wearing something different than a tree (from what she could gather). The past forty years or so has near enough been the exact same. Every tribute looked more or less like a tree – one even looked like a twig … had the figure and everything.

She felt a wave of sympathy for her but couldn't help but throw in the joke to brighten the situation.

" _Let me guess … you're a tree."_

If eyes could kill then Caroline would have been murdered in her sleep a long time ago.

"Haha," Joanna returned with a sarcastic smile, "Very funny, blondie."

"So, what are you, really?" Caroline continued with a small smirk that could rival Finnick's, "Oak or fern?"

She had to laugh at the look that was being sent to her, even as she felt a sharp punch attack her arm, along with a small shove. It was quite a hard hit that there would surely be a bruise in the morning. She rubbed the area and exclaimed a profanity when she was hit once more for good measure. "Okay! okay!" Her hands finally went up in surrender, "I'm sorry!"

Joanna just looked at her with an unimpressed gaze, "Sure you are."

Just like Caroline, there were only a few Victors Joanna decided to really get to know after winning her own Games. A few of she did relate to more than others given what President Snow did to her. There were also some she just liked but kept her distance anyway. Even though Caroline hasn't been through exactly what she has (losing all of her family), the blonde was probably been the only person she's been able to personally open up to over the last few years.

A year or so after she won her Games were the hardest and there was only a select few who knew how bad it had gotten for her.

"So, that's the bitch we have to protect?" Joanna's head turned towards where Finnick and the longhaired brunette stood from across the room. She had a look of disdain on her face but there was a little bit of envy in her features. As much as she didn't particularly want to – that girl needed to be protected at all costs, even if it meant their own lives. She knew Caroline and Finnick were also in on the agreement, along with a few others here today.

"If you mean _Katniss Everdeen_ … then yes, it is." Emphasizing on saying the name. Caroline understood why Joanna didn't explicitly like the girl – part of her didn't either considering what she and everyone else has been through up until this point, after winning their own Hunger Games. Some had come out more scathed than others. Joanna was one of them, she and Finnick were also in the rut but just in a different ending frame. "And don't forget Peeta."

Luckily there was no one around them to overhear what they were saying but just in case – they kept their voices a little lower than usual.

"There's no way in hell she's going to trust us." Joanna stated with a shake of her head as she glanced over at the other girl, "Peeta might at the beginning but he's still a lap dog. He'll follow her wherever she goes."

Caroline gave a hum in agreement.

"I hate this." The brunette suddenly declared as her fists clenched with anger. "I hate all of this. I hate that girl. I hate the Capitol. And I hate this whole goddamned world because everything always turns to shit. I wish I could just walk up to Snow and stick my axe in his throat! Then it would just all be over."

"Nothing's ever that simple, Jo," Caroline said with a sadness in her voice. "If it were that easy I would've chopped his head off a long time ago. He's just a small part in all this that needs to be changed. I don't envy Katniss at all. When we all get out of here, nothing's going to be easy for her. A war's coming and whether we like it or not - she's our leader, and we have to make sure that both she _and_ the boy get out of this alive. The whole plan will fall apart if we fail."

"This plan better work … that's all I'm saying." Joanna told her but paused when something came to mind. A little smirk quickly forming on her lips when she eyed Katniss again with a mischievous glint in her eye. "However, in the meantime…"

Caroline knew that look all too well and she couldn't help but sigh in exasperation. "You're not going to patronize her as well, are you?" She had to admit it was a very enticing idea.

"Oh, come on." Joanna's spirits greatly lifted as ideas began filling her head of what she could do to the girl, "It'll be fun!"

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	5. The Training Center

**Reminder - Flashbacks are in italics!**

 **CHAPTER 4**

 **The Training Center**

 _Caroline was breathing heavily as she stared out of the window of the train with a slightly curled fist resting against her lips, her breath plastering against the cold window in a fog. The scenes in front of her were moving at an incredibly fast speed that made the trees and limited buildings pass by in a blur._

 _All she could picture in her mind was the look on her brother's face as she said goodbye and the way he refused to let her go. He cried and begged for her not to go, clinging to her body in desperation as the peacekeepers tried to drag her away. Luckily, she was able to calm him down enough before the men with guns stepped in and yanked him away. She would have never forgiven herself if she caused her little brother harm._

 _She sniffed deeply as a few more stray tears made their way down her face, wrapping her arms around her body, almost as if the gesture would give her some warming comfort. She quickly brushed the drops on her face away when she felt someone come up from behind. She could already guess who it was going to be, someone she had been anticipating since the moment she stepped on board._

 _The sound of a door closed behind to give them privacy._

 _"_ _Care…" The voice behind her started speaking with a hesitant tone. There was only one person in her life that called her that anymore and it was the only person she cared to see right now. All she wanted to do was spit in every Capitol citizens face and curse the shit out of them. Maybe even throw in a few punches. Although, if she did that, she'd be making things turn out worse for herself, making her chances of getting home become less than desirable._

 _Another tear worked its way down her cheek._

 _"_ _I can't die in that arena, Fin." She choked out with a shake of her head. "I-I can't. Evan will have no one left and I can't leave him like that." Her bottom lip wobbled as she tried to calm herself down but nothing seemed to make her stop. She felt her whole world crumbling more than it already had and it was getting more difficult to keep anything upright and stable._

 _Finnick stepped forwards to slowly turn her so she faced him and away from the window. He grasped her shoulders gently as he observed her appearance. Her eyes were red and bloodshot and from what he could correctly guess as crying for a good long while. There was a light tenderness to the skin around them where it was likely that she continued to rub her eyes. He raised a hand and rested it against her cheek, using his thumb to stroke away the few stray tears. The warmth of his hands felt like a comforting gesture to Caroline as she leaned into his touch._

 _"_ _Listen to me." He tried to console her, determined to help as much as he could. Honestly, he couldn't care less about the other tribute he's supposed to mentor. No matter what his duties were and the fact that he was supposed to stay unbiased. He wanted, no … he_ _ **needed**_ _Caroline to win this year's Hunger Games. After everything he's been through himself, she was the only thing in his life that he could consider good anymore. His shining light in the constant darkness. "You ARE coming home. Do you understand?"_

 _This was all his fault. If he had just agreed to the terms … she wouldn't be here right now. The person he cared most for in this world wouldn't be going through the same torture as he had. Guilt heavily weighed on his shoulders again as he realised what she'll have to do now in order to come back home to them, the hurdles she'll have to face in order to even stay alive._

 _"_ _And what if I'm not strong enough?" Her voice broke at the end. She knew her years of training would play in her favor but the thought of killing someone … another person who just wanted the same as her, to go home, it broke her heart to pieces. She could already imagine the bloodshed she'll be intertwined with in just a few short days. There was a sickening feeling growing in her stomach as the realisation set in as the Capitol grew closer and closer._

 _"_ _ **You are**_ _, Caroline." Finnick countered in a strong prominent voice. He stared straight into her eyes with determination set in stone. "You are the strongest person I have ever met." He knew her better than anyone and he was being 100% truthful. "We'll figure out a way to get sponsors. I promise you. We'll show the Capitol that YOU are the one to bet on this year and that YOU will be the last one standing…"_

…

The next morning came around quicker then anyone would have liked as training commenced. Katniss looked around the training room in a gaze as she and Peeta entered. Her eyes bounced between tribute after tribute as they focused and honed in on their already impressive skills. She eyed them cautiously, trying to ascertain whether or not they'd kill them at the first chance they get.

They had both seen the recordings Haymitch provided and all the details found could potentially be useful.

Just as last time, each participant in the room seemed to be wearing the provided training gear. It wasn't the exact same style or color as the previous year that originally consisted with a blood red and black leather attire. This year, the material had stainless-steel patches on the straps of their tank tops that complimented the black polyester and spandex. The pants were tight against every tribute's body. The only difference between the genders was how long the material traveled down their legs. For women it stopped just below their knees while the men had them ending at their ankles.

It looked as though everyone had been obligated to wear the new get-up which wasn't surprising in the slightest.

The one thing Katniss noted straight away was the fact that there were very few people in the room. There were 24 tributes in total and she could only do a head count of eleven at most, including themselves. It seemed that many people have taken not to show up after all.

"Remember, Katniss," Peeta said quietly under his breath, but loud enough for her to hear. "Today's about making allies." He glanced around the room as well, eyes darting from each tribute to the next. Deep down, he wasn't liking their chances, given that most of the people in the training room were from the career districts. There only appeared to be a few that could potentially be allies he would trust near Katniss or himself.

Katniss felt a disgusted frown appear across her lips when she watched as a tribute barf on the floor beside an obstacle pyramid. She recognised him as one of the ones from District 6. A morphling. Although she could partly understand why someone might end up doping themselves up like the morphlings do, it's not something she would ever decide on doing for herself.

"So far I'm not overwhelmed by our choices." She replied with a small sigh, looking around again. Everyone seemed to be in their own worlds, ignoring them for the time being. The pair probably looked slightly stupid given the fact that they've been standing around for more than a couple of minutes.

Peeta couldn't help but agree. This round - they weren't dealing with other kids that wanted to go home to their families, no, they were amongst some of the most experienced killers in Panem. A small shiver travelled down the spine of his back but he made a point to ignore it. Now wasn't the time to be afraid. Now was the time to come up with a solid plan for getting Katniss back to District 12 alive and safe. Even if it means costing his own life. He would do anything to get the love of his life back to the family that needs her.

"I guess we just try to figure out who we trust the least and work our way backward from there."

Peeta and Katniss gave each other an approving nod to the plan before deciding to part ways in search of possible companions.

…

Caroline let out a small exhausted laugh as she finished slamming her opponents' body down to the ground, her legs pinning down his own. Her hands held down his arms above his head in an almost strong vice grip. Their chests rose deeply in union and their noses nearly touched as the partners stared towards one another.

She grinned teasingly down at the person with a challenging quirk of an eyebrow.

"Is that the best you've got, Odair?"

Finnick had let out a small laugh when his back slammed against the solid ground. He didn't retaliate, just stayed motionless on the floor with his partner's body pressed against him. Her legs bended in a way that kept his own from attacking at any opportune moment. They were both breathing heavily with slight beads of sweat coating their showing skin. Almost as thought they had been going at each other for a while now.

It wasn't as though he was trying that hard to beat her since he could never purposefully hurt her … but man … did she have strength or what? The possible bruising to his body the next morning would definitely be the result of her inflictions. Come to think of it, there were probably a few already from last nights tumble across both their bodies. The moment they got back to their apartment after the Parade was certainly a night to remember with reminding markings made in many places.

He didn't care that he could feel a few stares towards them while they rested in this position. He couldn't care less what any of them thought. None of them knew what kind of relationship he and Caroline were really in but each knew of the reputation they held within the Capitol. Every member in this room knew they used their bodies as an advantage as a power of gain and everyone knew that their relationship was of a close nature anyway. They were partners in crime, some would say.

And despite the fact that they had a job to do … they deserved a little fun.

When a flicker of a smirk appeared on his lips … Caroline instantly knew she was in for it. Her guard and form let down slightly accidently from the anticipation of what he might have cooped up in his head. Unfortunately, that's exactly what he had planned on her doing. That was enough for the man to gain the slip on her.

Using her own failing defences against her, he used as much strength as possible from his thighs and pushed his lower body up from the ground. She gave a startled yelp when she felt herself fly over him in almost a somersault. Thankfully she landed in a tuck and roll position without harming her head with an 'oof' sounding noise bouncing out her mouth. She finished in the same position as he had, lying across the floor on her back but wasn't pinned down.

"You're an asshole, Fin." She grumbled, thinking she had won that round in a landslide. She now felt the same dull ache in her own back that it was likely he had too.

"But you still love me." He retorted with a small smile.

"Always."

The pair decided to stay where they were as the adrenaline began floating away. The top of their heads nearly touched as their breathing returned back to normal. There was a couple of minutes of silence plagued with grunts from other tributes as they cooled down. They stayed there until a door opening from across the room caught their attention.

Caroline glanced over just in time to see the two they were secretly waiting for.

 _Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark._

Caroline was the first to push her body up from the ground into a sitting position with Finnick following in tow. They sat side by side for a moment and moved to look towards each other. They kept their positions angled a little so they could keep an eye on the new additions. They noticed the other tributes taking a small peak but for the most part they stayed ignored.

The District 4 tributes didn't want it to look too noticeable that they were keeping watch. Their job was to gain the trust of the District 12 pair and help them as much as possible in the arena without raising suspicions of the ulterior motive. They didn't want to do anything that might look hostile – it wouldn't look too good if Katniss ended up pinning them down with an arrow to the heart. Not that either of them would allow that to happen, of course. They were going to get help whether they want it or not.

"Who do you want?" Finnick asked.

His eyes flickered over to Katniss and Peeta again as couple departed ways from each other, closely observing their competition. He turned back to his girlfriend to see her biting her lip ever so slightly in thought. The action was something he loved to see her do because it made her look undeniably cute – he knew it wasn't the best moment to be thinking this, but he really wanted to ravish her right now.

"I'll take Katniss." Caroline answered after a moment's thought and breaking him out of his own. "You've already talked to her once and from what I saw, she wasn't all that comfortable around you." He went to open his mouth in protest but all she did was sending him a look. He already knew it was the truth just as much as she did.

…

Katniss took a moment and paused after she watched the District 1 siblings throw knives at their hologram opponents. They were incredibly skilled, that much was obvious. She knew she had enough skill with her bow and arrows to take them down if need be but it did make her a little anxious considering Peeta wasn't all that skilled in dodging attacks like those. She certainly had her work cut out for her when they get into the arena.

She was going to do whatever it took to get Peeta home – Haymitch was going to keep her promise this time. Peeta deserved to go home, more so than her.

Looking around again at the tributes – she came across two fairly older people favoring a survival skills station rather than the defensive court. She remembered them as Beetee and Wiress from District 3. She watched as Beetee tried making a fire in the provided log with Wiress watching him struggle beside him.

Katniss knew instantly what he was doing wrong because she had made fires herself countless times throughout her life. After making up her mind, she decided to help the tributes as a sign of a possible alliance. She was secretly a bit nervous about approaching the couple considering she had been avoiding any other victors up until this point. She knew that many of them were going to have to kill each other within a matter of days. She didn't want to get to attached to anyone seeing as there was only one person, in particular, she wanted going home - Peeta.

Steeling herself, she began her approach.

 _"_ _Friction generates heat."_ She heard the older man mutter to himself the dynamics of what he was trying to accomplish, _"Heat generates fire. In theory"_

"You should move your hands downward." Katniss advised, announcing her presence. She came to a slow stop beside them as they took notice of her arrival.

Beetee was undeniably startled by the new voice that appeared out of nowhere. He looked up to see the young woman from District 12 staring down at him with a tentative smile on her face. She looked unsure about being near them but her voice was confident, clearly telling him that she knew exactly what she was talking about. Wiress stayed silent beside him but glanced up at the same time, taking in her own observations within her head.

"And faster, too." Katniss continued as an afterthought. She made a small motion with her hands to show them. She noticed how they paused to look at her, as if they were unsure on whether they could trust her advice or not. But, after a glance towards each other and as she took a seat on the floor beside them, they went ahead with the new guidance, just as she told them.

It only took a couple of short tries before Wiress let out a gasp of delight – seeing smoke rise from the indent in the wood where the pieces met. Beetee looked just as pleased as her at his near creation of fire, now knowing that if he continued with the method, there would certainly be a fire in his wake.

"A little brute force…" Wiress started, looking up at her district partner.

"…is always helpful." He finished her sentence with a smile.

Beetee turned to the young woman and gave a thankful nod to her. "Thank you."

She sent one back to him as a sign of no problem.

Wiress stayed silent and instead looked towards something else that caught her attention. Her head tilted to the side slightly. There was something shimmering near the Gamemaker and guests, in the room above the training room where everyone special was gathered.

"By the corner of the table," Wiress whispered to herself but it was loud enough for the two people sitting next to her to hear.

Katniss and Beetee turned in their places to look in the same direction. The female was the first to react by frowning unsurely, unable to see what Wiress could be looking at in particular. "Plutarch?" She wondered.

The man in question glanced over to where they were sitting but quickly turned his gaze to others in the room when he noticed them staring. He was clearly observing his new tributes for this year while the others behind him babbled to each other, eating and drinking whatever they pleased.

"No." The older woman replied, still focused on what she had found. "Next to him."

Beetee lifted his glasses from the bridge of his nose and tilted his head up slightly. It was almost instantly that a smile drew onto his lips when he found what she was looking at. It was subtle, but any knowing eye would be able to spot the difference.

"There's a force field."

Another new voice appeared out of nowhere beside the three and only Katniss was the one to make a small, nearly noticeable jump in her place. She had been too focused on what Wiress was trying to see instead of keeping an eye on her surroundings. She looked over to see a young blonde woman slightly older than herself now crouching beside them, staring up at where Plutarch was standing above.

Katniss recognized this person very clearly.

It was Caroline Winters.

The female tribute from District 4 and Finnick Odair's district partner.

"How do you know?" Katniss questioned, her brow furrowing in confusion as she turned back to the scene in front of her. It took her a moment to take in the fact that Caroline had just wandered over with them completely unaware of it but she brushed it off. She didn't feel any hostility coming from the District 4 tribute - which felt strange considering how many people Caroline had killed during her games.

"If you look in the right places, you can see a slight shimmering in the air." Caroline explained, sending a small smile to Beetee and Wiress in greeting. The two from District 3 were a few of the tributes she's come to know over the years. "Noticed it too when I arrived here earlier."

"The top left-hand side." Beetee resumed when he noticed Katniss was still having trouble seeing what they were. He reached forward and gently touched her chin, lifting it into a position where he knew she would see the catch. He would admit, for anyone trying to find it for the first time, it was difficult when you're not sure exactly what you are looking for.

It took her a second but Katniss became floored when she finally noticed it. There seemed to be pentagon-like designs floating in the air, covered by a substance she could almost describe as an invisible pane of glass. "Looks like glass." She projected her thoughts, murmuring to herself as she squinted towards the new discovery and all the while, wondering why it might be there in the first place.

"To separate us and them," Wiress told her.

Katniss grimaced when it finally came to her, "Probably my fault." She confessed, glancing over to them. Now she wasn't too surprised to know there was a protective barrier between them. "I shot an arrow at them last year." Not that she regretted it. Part of her wished the arrow had hit one of the people instead of the apple inside the pig's mouth. Any of them would have done the job.

"Electromagnetic." Beetee confirmed his inner theory.

Katniss wasn't the best when it comes to the knowledge of electricity but she was curious on how they were figuring all of this out. "How can you tell?" She didn't know what was so funny about what she said but the two older tributes shattered into giggles while Caroline just tried not to smile too hard in amusement. A frown started appearing across her lips, "Is-Is it obvious or something?"

Her obvious confusion didn't help the laughter stop, if anything, it made it worse.

"Guys, come on, I asked you the exact same thing when I first noticed it too." Caroline butted in, still with a smile on her face. It was a long time ago now that she was taught this lesson but she clearly remembered being laughed at as well when she personally asked the same question. She noticed how the younger girl was beginning to get a little flustered the longer the pair giggled to themselves at her naivety. "Just explain it already to the poor girl."

Caroline decided that she had stayed with them long enough to make somewhat of an impression to Katniss. With a departing smile towards her two friends from District 3, she extracted herself from the conversation and began making her exit away from the trio.

Katniss never noticed this action but the other two gave her a small wave of goodbye.

"They might as well have a sign." Wiress managed to stop giggling long enough to say.

"Look around you," Beetee followed in suit as the laughter died down between them. He began explaining to the young girl everything she was missing, "All the holograms flicker, the lights, every now and then they flicker … why?"

"Because the forcefield is taking up too much energy." Katniss realized. She received a look of approval from the two geniuses from her correct guess.

Beetee gave her a nod, "There's always a flaw in the system." He told her. There was a moment of silence between them as he started trying again to make a fire with the correct method Katniss taught them. Wiress sat in her place, observing as he worked rather than try for herself.

Katniss glanced up at the newly appeared forcefield once more before deciding to take a look at the blonde again. She was confused when she finally noticed that Caroline had disappeared, almost as if she hadn't been there in the first place. She peered over her shoulder to observe the training room to find where she had wandered off to – her eyes took her to another survival station just a few meters away.

The makings of fishing lures.

Noticing that Beetee and Wiress's attention was taken away to train once more – Katniss decided to make her own exit from them and wander off again in search of another conversation and more skill building. She climbed back to her feet and started making her way over to the fishing lures station where she saw Caroline building a lure by herself.

Caroline tightened the grip of the jack holding the top part of her wooden lure. She had already carved the base out of a piece of wood and string. All she needed to do next was weave twine to attach the metal piece of the hook and secure the decorations that would tempt a fish to latch. The enticing feathers she opted to use were a colorful combination of earth tones. They were applied to the middle of the base and they flayed towards the bottom, coating the hook so it's hidden from plain sight.

"That's beautiful."

Caroline peered up from her work to see that Katniss was no longer conversing with Beetee and Wiress, but instead now standing right in front of her. The young girl stood there with a slightly unsure look on her face – probably wondering if she should be over here talking to her at all. However, there was a small smile in the corner of her lips that made the prior remark look and sound genuine.

"Thank you." She replied, sending Katniss a small smile of appreciation. She looked down towards her lure again and started wrapping the twine around the base now that it was secure in its hold. "My father taught me shortly before he died. He was a fisherman in my District, owned his own boat and everything."

"He died?" Katniss questioned, feeling a wave of sympathy for the woman since her father was also no longer here either. She knew the feeling all too well. She already knew Caroline's parents had passed away somehow since her games were one of the most memorable – it was briefly mentioned during her pre-arena interview. No one ever specified what actually happened.

Caroline gave a small hum, "He was out working one day and never came home." She explained. Although it was still a sore spot for her to think about, she knew that if she opened up to Katniss a little then trust would start building between them. It hurt to think about her father and the way he vanished from her life but it's been many years since then. There was a time and a place to grieve and this was certainly not the place or the time.

She picked up another base she had already carved just in case Katniss did decide to follow. She held it out for the younger girl to take. "Here." She said, a small smile on her lips. "I'll teach you how to make a lure if you show me those hunting skills you're so famous for." She offered.

Katniss looked a little hesitant at first about the deal but then remembered that Haymitch said they needed to find allies they feel they can trust. Even though Caroline's past wasn't all that pretty, there was just something about her that felt somewhat trustworthy. Although, she didn't want to put too much into it given that in the end, only one in this room would win.

"Deal." Katniss finally agreed, accepting the start of her fishing lure. Everyone already knew how good she was with a bow and arrows anyway so it wouldn't exactly be much of a surprise to anyone around here to see them in action. And besides, she didn't really know how to make a proper lure, especially from someone from a fishing District that could show her the ropes.

A couple of minutes of instructions and silence went by before Katniss decided to speak up once again. "I saw you volunteer for that young girl." She said, attaching her own feathers to the base that consisted of a few vibrant colors including purples and lighter greens. She recalled the clip Haymitch showed them of Caroline comforting the young redheaded girl in her arms after volunteering. It reminded her of her own Games – the way she volunteered for her little sister, Prim. "That was really brave."

"Annie's like a sister to me and I couldn't let her go through this again." Caroline explained in a soft voice, glancing up from her work, pulling a piece of hair that had fallen out of her braid back behind her ear, "I would do anything for the ones that I love just as Finnick would do the same. I already knew that volunteering would be signing my own death certificate and I wasn't going to let Finnick die without me by his side doing the same."

Even if the plan fails and they did indeed die – she knew her little brother would be well cared for. He'll be safe and that gives her a little peace in these dark times.

"Prim is my sister." Katniss offered, opening up to the former victor. "I would die for her every day if it meant she'd stay safe." She took note how final the words sounded coming from the blonde's mouth. She really knew it wasn't likely they'll make it through this round. She wondered briefly who Caroline thought would win the 75th Hunger Games. She hoped the guess would be Peeta.

"And that's what makes someone a fighter – a role model." Caroline's lips turned upwards as a small sigh left her lips. She glanced down to add the finishing touches to her second lure. Katniss was currently putting the last pieces together on her own lure as they conversed.

"Someone who would do anything for the people they loved. They would fight the good fight no matter the consequences – always putting others before themselves. Being someone like that is hard, treacherous, and most of the time even painful." She lowered her voice and barely moved her lips, keeping her head down. She was loud enough just so Katniss could hear her words. "But those are the people that will make Snow cower in fear when the ending draws near. In the end, the light will always beat the dark and that's something you need to keep in your mind when things start getting hard."

As Katniss listened to Caroline's words; she started growing very confused as each sentence passed. The passage sounded out of the blue but it was almost as if the words were given as advice, a warning, and a promise all put together into one bubble. None of it made any sense because to her right now, it meant nothing to either of them.

Before she could even question what was just said - the older woman pretended she hadn't said anything and congratulated her on building her first lure. She didn't even realize she had finished.

The thoughts and questions were put aside to the back of her brain when it came down to her part of the deal. She was to now show off her skills with a bow and arrow. She didn't think she put on that much of a show but by the time she finished the hardest cycle from the program in the hologram unit – she found every one of the tributes staring at her with either jealousy, secretive grins, or happiness for her at how well she did.

She just didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

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 **Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you liked this chapter!**


	6. Who Can Be Trusted?

**CHAPTER 5**

 **Who Can Be Trusted?**

Later that evening; Katniss and Peeta were in their apartment after training had been completed for the day. Although, for most people, it wasn't so much training as it was showing off their skills or just hanging around for the day. The pair were seated around on the sofas keeping quiet, drumming their fingers lightly against the material as they waited for their mentor to arrive.

"Good news." The mentor in question announced his presence in a loud voice as he appeared from the hallway.

All three of them were out of their attire for the day and in more comfortable clothing consisting of cotton leggings, light tanks tops and shirts, soft jumpers and cardigans. On their feet were boot-like slippers that were soft on the inside that made their toes feel snug within.

Peeta stood to greet his mentor the moment he walked in but Katniss stayed where she was on the couch, only to look up from her spot to listen. They were anxious about what they were going to be told – only having been given information from Effie that there was some good news. The woman then proceeded to leave them unaccompanied while she ventured to find some of her Capitol counterparts.

"At least half of the tributes want you as an ally."

Peeta wasn't all that surprised with the news and he could understand why Effie was acting as if it were Christmas before she left. "They saw her shoot." He explained with a slight shrug to one of his shoulders. Anyone with a brain would understand how skilled Katniss truly was with a bow and arrows. As far as he was concerned, she was one of the best. They hadn't seen any of the other tributes show off their skills with the weapon.

Although, everyone had to keep in mind that it didn't mean they don't know how to use one in the same manner. Just like in the regular annual Games – any tribute could be withholding a secret skill that no one else knows about.

Haymitch gave a nod of approval as he stared between his two tributes. He was pleased that Katniss of all people had followed his advice after all. "Well, sweetheart, you've got your pick of the litter." He told her.

Katniss glanced back at Peeta once before turning back to Haymitch. She already made up her mind hours prior to this conversation. "I want Wiress and Beetee." She replied.

When she first thought of her choices – there was already a reaction from her mentor stamped into her brain. Her choices were exactly the wisest, but in the end, she found them to be a hell of a lot more trustworthy than any of the career tributes lined up this year. She found herself liking Beetee and Wiress. She didn't have a problem being around them for a short period of time before they would have to part ways in the arena.

Peeta sighed to himself with a small nod as if he had already known she would pick those two.

"Joanna calls them ' _Nuts_ ' and ' _Volts_ '." He voiced but didn't outwardly disagree with the choices. He did have to admit, it was better to play safe and choose non-threatening allies rather than career tributes that would probably just murder them in their sleep.

Haymitch didn't look too pleased with the choices but he gave it to her anyway since there must be additional tributes she wanted to pick. "Okay, well, who else?"

"Caroline," Katniss answered after a moment.

She ignored the less than delighted look on her previous two choices.

Haymitch stared at her as the wheels turned in his head for multiple reasons. This was a good start. He could work with this. "Caroline?" He reiterated, "You do realize that if you take her,t you'll have to take Finnick as well?" As much as he was joyful towards the fact that Katniss had willingly chosen Caroline as an ally - it did leave the decision in a bit of a pickle because a certain male was missing from her choices.

"They're kind of a package deal."

Katniss made a face that made her look less than thrilled with the idea of Finnick become a choice. This flaw was something she should have realized beforehand. She somewhat liked Caroline even though they spent only a short amount of time together in training today. There was a respect there between the two considering they both volunteered themselves to the Games to save someone they loved. Only a few would have been brave enough to do something that bold and reckless.

She was initially a little intimidated, she had to admit. Caroline Winters was a _Capitol darling_ – the female version of Finnick Odair. From what she's seen and knows of the pair – they weren't exactly pure souls to the Capitol or to the Districts. They liked flashing themselves with other citizens for jewels or money and they sell themselves for a profit.

The notion of it still made her feel a little sick inside. She couldn't fathom an understanding as to why anyone would choose that way of life? Especially when a Victor gets given all the riches they would ever need until the day they die. Although … maybe there's something she's missing? With President Snow involved, she supposed, anything could be possible.

The day she found him in her office with a white rose in hand came to her mind. How he subtly threatened her with the welfare of her family and those she cared of. Were they threatened perhaps? Or was it really voluntary?

Thinking of possibly accepting Finnick Odair as an ally wasn't something she was all that keen on. She didn't like him all that much. At all, really. He was too arrogant and pushy for her taste. He was the type of man who would use his body to gain information and that made her more than a little uneasy. She felt extremely uncomfortable during the parade when he decided to make an appearance by their carriage. It wasn't until he left that she managed to take a breath of relief.

Katniss fell silent and stuck in her thoughts with the feeling of two men staring at her. She was unable to make a response because she didn't know what decision to make. On one hand, it could be beneficial have both Caroline and Finnick on their side for the time being … but what about when there are only a few tributes left? She remembered what Caroline said about the fact that she and Finnick were unlikely to be getting out alive. But who's to say they don't backstab them to get one of their friends' home instead? The Victors all knew each other to a certain extent, more than most in some cases.

Two people coming at you is harder to beat than just one.

The problem with the Hunger Games – you never really know who you can trust until the moment something happens.

Haymitch seemed to pick up on the dilemma. "I'll just tell them you're still making up your mind." He decided. A plan began to form in his head because even though Katniss was stringent on her choices, he knew that in the end, it was entirely possible that his two tributes would decide to go in it alone without allies. His plan would require a lot of hope but if things are thought out carefully – it just might work.

He would have to run it by a few people first just to make sure.

The room was left silent once again when Haymitch started making his way out of the room with ideas fumbling around in his head. He rubbed two fingers together in a fiddle as multiple thoughts took over his brain. He continued his way up to the elevator down the hall with a conversation playing out in his head, including a few things that needed to be told.

He stepped into the glass box and hit the button for the thirteenth floor. There was an access door on this level that would take him to a place only few would know. The roof. This was the only place in the Capitol, that he currently knew of, that didn't have full access camera's and microphones recording each and every conversation.

He had a couple of people to see tonight.

…

The rooftop was quite big and spacious, something that wasn't surprising given how large the apartments would be if there were no walls. There were no significant plants up here but there were a few weeds sprouting about in the corners of the small wall separating people from the edge of the roof. The only thing that stood out on this level was the access building with a single door that was just big enough for the stairs going down to the thirteenth floor.

Caroline and Finnick stood beside each other against the railing with the gravel underneath their feet crunching lightly. She was flushed against it while he stood directly behind her, wrapping his arms around her body and pulling her back into his chest.

The two young adults gazed over the city before them with equal reactions. They sighed, taking in the sights but knowing exactly that nothing in front of them was any friend to them. It was beautiful but it would never take away the knowledge of everything that this place had ever done to them and the Districts.

The Capitol was cruel and selfish – leaving its own people, in a sense, to die in a senseless game every year. The Hunger Games didn't need to exist like President Snow makes it out to be. It was something the Capitol used against the Districts to keep them in line – to make them follow orders and to keep them underneath their shoe.

The two stayed together in complete silence.

They didn't need to speak in order to comfort each other. They didn't need to reveal their ongoing fears because they've already been said countless times between them over the last couple of months. Everything that was going to happen in a couple of days was simply a series of nightmares coming to life. In fact, it's already started. They were back in the training center after having been reaped and shown off like slaves being bought, counting down the days before they were thrust into a game of murder and mayhem.

Despite the fears and the unknowns of what was to come – they knew that if they continue to have each other, everything would turn out okay. It didn't matter if it was true or not – it was a belief that would keep them strong and at this point, they needed all the strength they could get.

Shortly before dinner, the two had been given a message from Haymitch that they were to meet on the roof. He never specified what time exactly but mentioned they should meet after everyone had something to eat.

The sun had gone down a few minutes ago and all that was left in the sky were a few dozen small stars in the sky. They weren't as big or bright as one would hope. Especially given that the Capitol loved their lights in the street and because of this, any chance of seeing more than a few were drowned out.

The District 4 tributes wished they were back home and for all of this to be over with already.

Back home in District 4, you could go to different parts of town, or even in Victor's village to see a full sky of sparkling stars. It was beautiful, something that made their lives a little bit brighter because as you stare up at them, it was almost as if the whole world fell away around you and all that was left was peace.

Of course, none of that was really true … not yet, anyway … but it was still a dream that would hopefully one day be fulfilled.

The pair were nearly startled out of each other's grasp when the sound of a door opened behind them. Since part of them thought it was someone from the Capitol having found their meeting spot, they turned around in a flash. Thankfully, they were relieved to see a familiar figure passing the opening, the person they were supposed to be meeting at this late hour.

 _Haymitch Abernathy._

"Abernathy." Finnick greeted with a nod as his heart calmed in his chest.

Finnick and Caroline pulled away from each other slightly but kept in contact by holding hands. Considering they weren't allowed to show any affection in public, they could never seem to get enough of each other when they were out of the limelight. They were each other's drug that would never be enough.

They always had to be with each other at any given moment. There was a fear deep down within both of them these days that if one was out of sight for any length of time – something terrible had happened. The last few weeks had been quiet for their extra-curricular activities and they were thankful for that. They knew it was likely President Snow and the Quarter Quell's doing.

"It's good to see you, Haymitch." Caroline smiled slightly when she realized it was only Haymitch.

The last time they really saw Haymitch was the moment the plan was revealed to them a couple of weeks after the Quarter Quell had been announced. The moment they decided to help a cause that would hopefully free everyone from the vicious cycle of the Hunger Games, the Capitol, and most importantly, President Snow.

Their choice of joining was to help future generations become the people who were free to make a choice on how they wanted to live their lives - without fear of being tortured or killed for just wanting to do what was right.

…

 _They were standing on the edge of the beach with the tides rolling in slowly. The waves crashed along the shore, saturating into the sand and making it damp underneath their feet. The sun beamed down at them in strong heat waves, causing beads of sweat to secrete from their skin. Caroline Winters and Finnick Odair stood in a triangle with someone they've come to know sort-of well over the last few years._

 _Haymitch Abernathy._

 _All three of them had to meet away from the public and all possible camera and microphones within the vicinity. This was probably the only place in the District they could one hundred percent say for sure that no one would be listening in on. This was a time of delicacy. Everything that was to be shared could never be spoken in public – it was highly sensitive. If the wrong person were to hear anything that was to be said, everyone would in big trouble and everything would fall apart._

 _"_ _So, what's the plan, Haymitch?" Caroline questioned tiredly as she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning slightly into Finnick's body from the side._

 _She hadn't been sleeping at all well for the last couple of weeks - ever since the announcement the President made about the third Quarter Quell. The words on that piece of paper were reeling around in her head and were haunting even her nightmares._

 _From the split second she finished hearing those words from the man's mouth – she had fallen into shock for what felt like hours until she found herself crying into Finnick's arms, him doing the same with her. They held each other tight while drowning out the sounds of the cheering crowds surrounding President Snow and his podium._

 _She could remember Annie screaming hysterically in her home. She was sure Mags had gone to comfort her but all four of them had been driven into a state of numbness or hysterics. All Caroline had felt in that moment was her whole world tumbling down around her even more than it already had._

 ** _'_** ** _On the 75_** ** _th_** ** _anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of Victors.'_**

 _Evan had come home from school with Ms. Jenkins very soon after that announcement. He ran straight into her arms, sobbing as hard as possible when he realized what the announcement had meant for his sister. For him. It was very likely he would have to watch his sister be thrown into the Hunger Games again. Granted, he had only been 4 years old at the time when she first went in, but every year during the annual reruns, hers would always be one of the highlighted years and he always had to watch._

 _Watching the reruns were mandatory._

 _It was_ _ **sickening**_ _._

 _Haymitch reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved a small black circular device with three dots on the surface that would light up when in use. He reached forward and grabbed Caroline's hand, playing the machine into it, closing her palm quickly afterward. He knew cameras had zoom-in technology so he needed to be careful. It wasn't likely to catch them this far away from civilization but it never hurts to be too careful._

 _Finnick furrowed his brow as they caught sight of what Haymitch had just handed over._

 _"_ _What's that?" He asked, looking down at it the same time Caroline did. The blonde tried to keep it hidden within her palms seeing as how careful Haymitch had been to pass it over. They stared at the device in confusion, unsure as to what it was exactly. They had never seen anything like it. It was certainly high-tech but it didn't look Capitol-made at all. It seemed different somehow._

 _"_ _It's connected to District 13's base of command," Haymitch explained to them quietly._

 _He watched as their heads snapped up to his with genuine surprise covering their features. More specifically towards the mention of the fallen District - the place the Capitol had essentially wiped off the map many, many years ago now._

 _Before the Hunger Games began 74 years ago and during the original rebellion; District 13 had been apart of Panem and situated just north of District 12. They were essentially cut out from existence when the District was deemed uninhabitable from chemical bombs that were dropped onto the surface. Broadcasts of the ruins were shown every year before the selections of tributes were announced and never had they shown any sign of life._

 _"_ _District 13?" Caroline repeated in disbelief, wondering if she had heard right. "But … I thought it no longer existed?"_

 _Haymitch shook his head, "There were survivors." He told her, "I didn't know either until recently when they reached out. They've been keeping track of everything that's happened over the years. They've made a plan and if everything turns out right, I think it could actually work."_

 _There were a few doubts in his mind but if everything really did fall into place – they might actually succeed. Even though he knew what Katniss and Peeta did last year was certainly not advisable, given everything that's happened since – it did give the people of Panem something they haven't had in a very long time._

 ** _Hope._**

 _"_ _Yeah, you mentioned a plan before," Caroline recalled, keenly listening just as the man beside her was. "So, what is it?"_

 _"_ _You've noticed the rising conflicts in the Districts, right?" Haymitch prodded, looking between the pair, "Ever since Katniss and Peeta pulled those berries and threatened to kill themselves."_

 _"_ _Who hasn't." Finnick snorted when he replayed the scene in his head. They were all too aware of what was happening lately because of those two. It was happening in every District from what they've seen and heard. "It's been getting worse too." He continued, "My guess? That's why Snow's throwing us go back into the arena for the Quarter Quell. It's rigged. It has to be."_

 _Haymitch nodded, "And everyone knows it." He agreed._

 _He was silent for a moment, his eyes scanning the surroundings to make sure no one new had appeared on the beach. "Which is why … I need to ask a massive favor."_

 _Caroline and Finnick took a peek at each other as they silently tried to figure out what might be coming next. When they stayed quiet, the older man took it as a sign to proceed with his explanation._

 _"_ _This plan's been in the works for years now but never has the opportunity come up until now." He disclosed, "The fact that Katniss openly defied the Capitol like she did showed the people of Panem that she's willing to fight. She's become a symbol, the_ _ **Mockingjay**_ _, and that's exactly the thing 13 needed to get involved as much as they are now."_

 _"_ _Snow's seen this." He continued, seeing he's still got their full attention, "It's why the Quarter Quell is to choose from the existing pool of Victors. It's meant to eradicate the strongest, leaving only the weakest. -"_

 _"_ _Yeah, okay, but what does this information mean to us?" Finnick questioned, not understand exactly where the man was taking them, "We already knew all this."_

 _Haymitch sent him a look of irritation for interrupting him and was pleased when he saw Caroline nudge him hard in the stomach with her elbow. The young man bowed slightly with a groan of discomfort and it took him a second to gain his bearings again, pushing himself back up so he could listen further._

 _"_ _The point is … is that Katniss Everdeen will no doubt be thrown back into the Games since she's the only female Victor from 12. It's also highly likely that Peeta will be going with her. I'll try and volunteer in Peeta's place but given we already know it's going to be rigged somehow – Snow will already know the boy will volunteer in my place so he can protect her."_

 _"_ _Panem needs their Mockingjay and she needs him."_

 _"_ _So … you want us to die to protect this girl and her fiancé?" Caroline interrupted this time with unsureness in her voice. She was trying to understand where he was coming from, "Haymitch, even if we do that, there can still only be one Victor in the Games." If Peeta and Katniss were both going in – only one would still survive._

 _"_ _That's the thing…" Haymitch wasn't as bothered when she cut him off because her question was valid. "Now, I can't promise I know exactly everything that's going to happen but at some point, during the Games, District 13 is going to essentially initiate a coup on the Capitol. At the same time, they're going to get as many of the Victors out as possible. All everyone needs to do is buy time. To keep Katniss and Peeta alive until they get their chance. If everything works out the way it's planned – this could very well be the last Hunger Games anyone will ever see."_

 _"_ _Who else knows about this?" Finnick questioned, wondering which Victors have agreed to go along with this. He looked down at Caroline to see her biting her lip in thought. She was clearly thinking this through already just as he was._

 _"_ _All the Victors apart from Districts One and Two. So far, everyone's on board and you two are my last stop." Everyone knew that anyone from One and Two weren't completely trustworthy as it is. They were too connected with the Capitol to be truly angry with everything that was happening. Tributes volunteered every year for the most part so there isn't a high chance they would keep quiet about this rebellion. "Just as Snow will know Peeta will volunteer in my place – he'll know you'll volunteer in Annie or Mag's place too which is why I didn't ask for them to be here. It'll be too suspicious if I asked all of you here at the same time."_

 _"_ _There's going to be a full-blown rebellion on Snow's hands." Caroline echoed her thoughts and what was being told. She didn't object to the fact that she would volunteer in Mags or Annie's place because what he said was true. She could never let them go through that again despite the fact that the Games had taken a massive toll on her as well. She would also never let Finnick go without her too._

 _Her thoughts suddenly began to wander towards her family and those she cared most deeply for. "Haymitch, if we do this, they'll most certainly retaliate against anyone who dared to take a shot at them. What about our families?" No matter how much she wanted to do anything that would show Snow it was their time to fight – she had to think about her little brother, Ms. Jenkins, Annie, and Mags. The things she was forced to do on a near-daily basis was to keep them safe and she couldn't do this knowing she was putting them all at risk._

 _Haymitch pointed to the black object in her hands, "That's what the device is for." He explained, "When the Victors arrive in the Capitol, people from 13 are heading out to each District to collect anyone Victor's deem family. They'll get anyone you know Snow can use against you while you're in the arena or helping the rebellion. The moment it beeps – they're here and waiting to take them away. Just make sure you tell who you need to know that and pass it over before you go."_

 _Silence engulfed them as the reality of the situation sunk into their skins._

 _Caroline and Finnick looked to each other as they had almost a silent conversation within their eyes. They already knew what they were going to do. If the ones they cared about were going to be safe then there was nothing stopping them from retaliating the way they've wanted to for years since they won their Games. If they could help a rebellion in any way – to push Snow out of his pedestal and change Panem and the Capitol forever – it was something worth potentially dying over._

 _They could create a whole new world and all they had to do was protect two people that provided the spark that was needed for the flame to continue._

…

Haymitch didn't even get a chance to greet them in return because he was quickly overtaken by the young blonde woman, one he would actually call a friend despite the circumstances they were all thrust into.

"Haymitch, are they safe?" Caroline instantly asked the one question that's been driving her crazy since the moment they stepped back into the Capitol once more. She remembered Haymitch telling them that as soon as they were back in this city or heading towards it, people from District 13 were going to grab their relatives and take them to safety.

Haymitch was almost like a middleman between District 13 and everyone on the outside. There were others like him but between 13 and the Victors, in particular, there was just him. Everyone had to be careful so this was the only time she could get a chance of asking if everything had gone according to plan. She was anxious to hear anything at this point. She just wanted to know that everyone, especially her little brother, was safe and away from District 4.

"They arrived not too long ago," Haymitch assured her and smiled slightly when her shoulders sagged with relief. Finnick looked just as relieved to hear the news because he let out a small chuckle of solace and wrapped an arm around Caroline's shoulder, pulling her into his side. "They're getting the four of them settled right now. They're out of Snow's reach."

He paused.

"Unfortunately, that's not entirely the reason why I asked you both to meet me in private…"

"Okay, what is it?" Finnick wondered curiously, raising an eyebrow, "Have Katniss and Peeta chosen their allies yet? From what we hear, nearly everyone wants Katniss in particular by their side as an ally."

"That's the problem." Haymitch replied, getting to it, "She wants Beetee and Wiress which is fine, we needed that … but she wants Caroline too."

Caroline and Finnick appeared confused … isn't that what they wanted to happen? The whole idea was to get Katniss to want them as allies. Why did the older Victor have disappointment in his tone?

"Okay...?"

"But not you." He pointed to Finnick.

"Seriously?" The young man looked almost offended when as glanced down at his girlfriend. Why wouldn't anyone want _him_ as an ally? Who were they? Idiots?

"As I told you … she isn't the type of girl who will care for your charms." The woman simply rolled her eyes with a small sigh. She expected that Katniss would very likely not want Finnick as an ally. The sight she watched at the Parade hadn't been very enticing to indicate that it would play in their favor. She turned back to Haymitch with a follow-up question, "So what do you suggest?" She asked, "Cause I'm not doing this without him."

"I think you'll have to force them to take the both of you in the arena." He told her, "I don't know how yet but prove to them you're on their side, that Finnick is an ally worth having and that you're both trustworthy. Honestly, though, it wouldn't surprise me if they turn around and say they don't want allies after all."

"So, we're making it up as we go along now?" Finnick assumed, scratching his head in frustration from the situation they've found themselves in.

"The main parts of the plan are still the same and keeping Katniss and Peeta alive." He nodded, "But … yes, there's going to be a lot of unknowns and tricky variables ahead of us. Effie's been thinking about all of us wearing something gold to signify we're a team – I'll see about getting you two something in gold too. Hopefully, the two of them will remember enough of the conversation to realize you two can be trusted."

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 **What's this? A second update in a week … holy moly! Hope you guys love the chapter!**


	7. Murderers with Smiles and Champagne

**CHAPTER 6**

 **Murderers with Smiles and Champagne**

 _Caroline stood in a circle with the other tributes side by side to her. They were all clothed in the mandatory training gear - clothing that was given upon arrival to their District's apartment in the training center. Later that day, they were all gathered in the training room, just two days after having been reaped for the 68th Hunger Games. The room itself was located in the sub-levels of the building._

 _The training room was full of equipment and a variety of trainers with different skill sets. There were almost a dozen survival stations on one side and the other had multiple areas to practice and/or learn fighting skills, with or without weapons. Caroline eyed the knife and bow station for a moment before quickly looking away. She had to remember what Finnick told her. She had to avoid showing off her best abilities because if she did, the advantage of surprise would be lost._

 _He recommended trying something new today, to either better herself or focus on the survival skills. He knew she was good at a lot of things already thanks to their behind-the-scenes training but he was just as worried as she was. He wanted her to be prepared for anything. He wanted her to come home just as much as she did._

 _Standing in front of them was the head trainer Atala Marnowa. She was a tall and slender woman with dark black hair tied into a sharp bun. There was no smile on her face, only exhaustion based in her features with a hardened shell to contain herself. She had been doing this job for far too long – trained too many children even though she knew sometimes it was useless. She and the other trainers below her were dressed normally - no over-the-top clothing or makeup could be seen on any part of their bodies. They looked just as tributes did but with a few slight alterations._

 _Atala stared at them as she began explaining what everyone was doing here – what they were to accomplish by the end of the three-day training period. She went on to describe everything that was about to happen in the Games, everything that they'll possibly need to prepare._

 _The tributes around the head trainer looked between themselves as she continued. It was almost as if they were sizing each other up to decide what was the best course of action to go with._

 _Caroline tried to ignore everything around her and listen to what she might be facing, but it becoming exceedingly difficult considering she could feel multiple pairs of eyes bearing down on her, both from above in the Gamemakers box and the other tributes._

 _She didn't want to sound conceded or egotistical but it nearly felt like there were too many people staring at her … like she was being pointed out or something. She didn't want to be the center of attention – she had never liked that, it grated her nerves in a way she didn't like._

 _She could have sworn the male tribute from District One was smirking at her from the side and it made her insides feel a shiver down its spine. Everyone knew of District 1 and 2, they were traditionally the volunteer Districts of Panem. They were always brutal when they kill and full of arrogance when they speak. Every year they manage to hold the title of most kills and it was disgusting to even see how joyful they looked about killing other children their age._

 _Technically Districts aren't allowed to train their people for the Hunger Games but somehow, the two lower Districts are able to get away with it. Since they are closer with the Capitol and provide certain resources, it created a bit of leeway. In the other Districts, they're labeled as Careers. Conceited but potentially deadly._

 _She attempted to observe everyone in the room herself, to get a better feel for who she was up against. Trying to ascertain how she'll have to get past all of them in order to go home to her little brother._

 _No matter how hard she tried to remember what was happening around her and stay in the moment - she still couldn't quite believe where she was._

 _Her brain was constantly trying to wish that this was just some terrible nightmare. She was always struck back to reality fairly quickly, it was hard enough that she knew her luck would never be that good. How can it? She was the daughter of dead parents and condemned to be the sole carer of a five-year-old child at just 14 herself. Her life was full of bad luck. Getting reaped for the Hunger Games was just the icing on the shit-filled cake. Anything after that would become the topper._

 _As her eyes flickered from tribute to tribute, a startling fact suddenly popped into her mind. Something she hadn't considered. They were all … her age. It didn't occur to her until just now when she failed to notice there were no entry-age children within the group. Every year, there was always at least one child at the age of eleven or twelve. Always. The ages were always varied and never just one age group. It was near enough impossible to simulate that without there being tampering involved._

 _She tried to think back to Ceaser Flickerman's introduction to this year's annual Hunger Games – the start of the show where he goes through every tribute that's been picked and shows them off to his audience. She tried to recall all the ages of the tributes exactly, trying to discern if she was just making a mistake … but she wasn't. The only age she could remember seeing was seventeen and nothing below._

 _A little frown appeared on her lips in confusion and she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at the new revelation. It didn't make any sense. The odds were astronomical for that coincidence to occur. It didn't sit right with her. She couldn't quite place a reasonable understanding of the situation, to why this might have happened without it sounding very, very bad._

…

Three days passed way too quickly in Caroline's opinion when they found themselves in one of the many places she never wanted to come back to. All the Victors were sitting outside the training room, waiting for their private session to be called.

She had no idea what she was going to do.

Part of her wanted to just get it over and done with by showing off her impressive hand-to-hand combat abilities or how deadly she could be with a couple of knives. She could also shoot quite well with a bow and arrows too.

 _However…_

The biggest part of her wanted to do something different this year considering all the pain and suffering that not only the Capitol has brought upon them, but Snow as well. She knew she was playing with fire but she craved to be rebellious for the first time without fear of retaliation. To do something she's dreamed of since the day that bastard of a President threatened to take away the only family she had left in this world. He's already taken her dignity and any self-worth she had, the stability of her mind included after everything she was put through in the Games.

She wanted to throw something back in his face for everything that he's done and take some of those people they call loyal down with him too.

Thinking about it … she could if she really wanted to.

Evan was safe … so were Ms. Jenkins, Annie, and Mags. They were safe from his clutches away in District 13 with the rest of the rebellion. She had nothing left to lose back in her District. Finnick was already being thrown into the arena with her so that left nothing for them to do about it until they're dumped into the battlefield. They already knew it was going to be carnage in the arena so that wasn't anything new.

But what could she do that would prove a point? Something that could stir something inside of them, something that could possibly make them feel guilty about supporting any of this. The Hunger Games … the Quarter Quell… how can she make them come around to see just what their actions are doing to the people of Panem? How much this affects the human race in general?

She needed a way to make them pay, even just a little, for everything that they've done and supported.

Finnick would not be happy knowing what she could potentially be planning…

Good thing he won't know until later…

She was so lost in her thoughts that it wasn't until she felt a finger graze underneath her chin, snapping her back to reality. It was a light touch that was gone as quick as it came. She blinked a few times to break away from her staring into nothingness, giving a little shake to her head. As she tried to assess how much she had missed since spacing out and she realized quickly that many tributes had already been called for their sessions.

Everyone below District Four was gone from their seats and up next was Finnick who had yet to be called. He sat beside her, his body turned towards her direction so she was the only one he was focusing on. Since they were close enough together where they were almost touching – he was able to fiddle with ends of her hair while it was tied into a long braid. When down, it would reach just below her upper arm.

When he gets bored or anxious, he fiddles with her hair. It was weird … but sweet at the same time. Sometimes he would even braid it for her, like this one just before they left this morning. He would tell her it calms him down and keeps him in the moment. She didn't object because she knew it was one of the ways he copes with his emotions. Every Victor has a method to deal with the demons inside of them and the memories that plagued their souls. This and tying knots were just one of the few ways Finnick knows how to deal.

 _"_ _Hey,"_ He whispered very lightly so he couldn't be overheard, _"You okay?"_ His features were full of concern. He knew just how much she hated it here. Everyone probably did but everything to do with this place was bringing back memories that wanted to long be forgotten. For the past three nights since arriving at the Capitol once more, they've both had been having nightmares about their first Games. They've both woken up with sweat-covered sheets sticking to their bodies.

If it wasn't for the makeup their prep teams applied every morning – anyone could have seen the dark black bags hanging underneath their eyes and the pure exhaustion plastered on their faces. It feels like they've barely had any sleep with everything that's been going on lately.

Caroline's lips lifted slightly half-heartedly and could only manage a small shrug. She pulled her legs up underneath her and crossed them, rolling her shoulders back until she felt a satisfying crack. Her body felt tense and restless. She wanted to get out of this place … now.

"Is anyone?" She retorted lightly in her own lowered voice, turning to him in return, "What about you?"

Finnick hated sitting around and doing nothing – it was a pet peeve of his. He needed to be active, to be doing something, _anything_ , especially if he's waiting.

"Nervous, I guess." He replied before taking a glance around the room. Everyone was either staying as silent or conversing quietly like they were. He brought a leg up to his chest and rested against it, "Can't wait for this to be over with already." He continued, "All this waiting is driving me nuts."

Caroline's lips quirked into a grin, "You're already nuts, dear."

Finnick placed a hand over his wounded heart, "Ouch." He complained lightly with a dramatic look on his face, "That hurt." She took her braid out of his hands and playfully swatted his hand. They shared a small laugh at their equal attempt to lighten the mood but unfortunately, it rapidly came to a halt when the speakerphone was reactivated.

 **"** **District 4 - Finnick Odair."** A man's voice echoed through the room. All the Victor's in the room seemed to pause and stare towards them – to Finnick in particular. There was suddenly a void of noise in the air and everything seemed to just stop. **"Report for your individual assessment."**

Finnick clearly didn't want to leave her, or do this assessment, but knew that he had to. He glanced towards the door to the training room before letting out a small resolving sigh. He got up slowly from where he sat and before he left, he turned to look down at Caroline. He bent down and kissed her forehead, stroking her cheek as a form of comfort for them both. He ignored the stares they received and just focused on her.

"I'll see you soon." He promised quietly with stern eyes of promise.

Caroline lifted her hand up to touch his, giving it a small clench of courage.

"You better." She countered, a small smile lifting on her lips, "I'll eat all the ice-cream and burn all your clothes if you don't." Ice-cream was his favorite food while cupcakes were hers.

He sent her a playful glare, "You're a rascal, you are."

Now he really didn't want to leave.

Caroline just rolled her eyes and pushed him towards the door when she noticed the guards getting a little testy. She sent him a small vote of confidence before he finally left for his assessment. He had glanced back at her once more but she sent him a nod, telling him silently that she'll be okay, just as he will without her for the short amount of time.

Some might say they relied too heavily on each other and they were probably right. Finnick was her emotional rock while she was his. There was just a connection between them that no one would ever get.

No one really grasps an understanding of what they've gone through being a Victor. In fact, they could never tell anyone in fear of someone they cared for getting hurt. If Caroline were to have done something President Snow didn't like – he would hurt her family. If Finnick had done something President Snow didn't like – he would hurt both Caroline and her family because he knew how much all of them meant to him.

Only a few other Victors would ever really know what they were going through.

Caroline had fallen back into her trapped thoughts when Finnick disappeared and she was left waiting inevitably for her turn to arrive. She started to think back to her Games seven years ago. The last time she sat in this chair, she was nervous like she was now and extremely anxious to leave. During her last assessment, she had shown off her abilities with a bow, piercing each dummies heart through and through.

She received a surprising score of 11 which was off because she hadn't been trying all that hard to make a big impression in the first place. Her strategy was planning to be the element of surprise, and attack if needed. She wasn't going to go actively seeking anyone out to kill them. She wasn't going to sink so low like a Career tribute would do.

If someone came at her, then she'd have no choice but to retaliate to prevent her premature death. In the end, none of her plans seemed to work for very long because as soon as everyone was dumped into the arena … the bloodshed around her just kept on growing.

They kept coming for her and they never stopped … she didn't know why.

She still couldn't fathom the reasoning behind _anything_ to do with the 68th Hunger Games and she still didn't like it one bit. She loathed not knowing and sometimes it drove her crazy because she still didn't have all the answers. She figured out after the Games had ended why her name had been reaped but that didn't account for everything that happened during it. It didn't make sense that she became the main target that year.

 **"** **District 4 - Caroline Winters."**

The man's voice appeared once again and smashed through her running thoughts. Caroline blinked out of her head and turned up towards the speaker. She silently wondered if she really heard the voice or if it was just her imagination. It would be the first time that's happened. She was proved wrong when the announcement continued.

 **"** **Report for your individual assessment."**

There was a moment where she stayed where she was as silence encased the room. When she felt everyone staring, it greatly reminded her of her first training day seven years ago. It made her feel uneasy, so much so that she wanted out of this room that very moment. She managed to push herself up and start walking towards the door without a second glance over her shoulder.

She still wasn't sure what she was going to do for her assessment.

…

Caroline stepped foot into the training room as the door automatically opened for her. Everything looked relatively the same, however, a few of the stations that didn't need holograms were placed into the center of the room for easier viewability. The Gamemaker and his guests were stationed up in the viewers box, above where they would normally sit.

Surprisingly, all the guests looked weirdly normal and she had to wonder if they were his 'helpers' in creating the arena. If they were Capitol citizens that had paid an exorbitant amount of money to see first hand what the Victors had to offer, then they would have worn exotic over-the-top clothing and makeup. These people wore all black robes and jackets with little to no face paint. Out of all of them, Plutarch was the only one standing amongst the dozen, while the others were lounging back in their sofa chairs, waiting for the show to start.

During her last assessment; she recalled everyone eating, drinking, and chatting along with each other. They usually didn't give two hoots about what the tributes did unless they were interesting specimens. This time; they looked subdued and attentive as they waited for the next Victor to step forth. She could feel them watching her very closely as she approached closer.

"Caroline Winters!" Plutarch called loudly, almost in a tone that showed he didn't want to be kept waiting. She turned her gaze up to him for a moment when he stared down directly at her. "You have 10 minutes to present your chosen skill."

Caroline looked at the stations to see what there was to offer and she stopped short when her eyes immediately caught sight a wall of thin, sharp knives. They were beautiful. The curves were meticulous and sharp, the handle made of a thin grey strap of leather. There were small engravings driven into the side of the blade that had unique winding swirls.

She remembered them very clearly… they were from _her_ Games.

These were the knives she used in the arena after retrieving her backpack. There was a split-second where she narrowly missed getting hit by this very knife where it would have done much more damage. She barely managed to get out of the bloodbath after making a bold decision to go after some essentials.

As she moved closer to the weapons, she could tell by the slight notch in the blade and the faint tear in the leather that it was hers. She reached forward and grabbed it, holding the familiar weapon in her hand as she recalled the first time she used it.

She committed her first murder of the 68th Hunger Games with this knife…

 _Caroline felt her chest heaving rapidly from undeniable fright when she felt the sun beating down on her. The artificial sky was a pale blue with the ball of fire bigger than usual. She could clearly hear the Gamemaker counting down from sixty with the clock projected from up above. Everyone around her was getting ready to make a run for it, either towards the motherload of goods or into the treeline for cover._

 _She observed her surroundings and noticed everyone doing the same as her. Trying to assess what they had been thrown into and making quick plans on what to do first. All twenty-four tributes were standing on silver plates that were elevated from the ground a couple of inches. The cornucopia stood several meters from all of them and all of them would need to run as fast as possible to have even a chance of getting something from the pile._

 _They were all equal distance - from both the Cornucopia and each other._

 ** _10 … 9 … 8 …_**

 _She eyed all the weapons, rucksacks and needed supplies inside and tried to figure out as quickly as possible which one was likely to aid her more – while also keeping into account she needed to get in and get out without getting killed or hurt. The red one off to the very right side looked promising. She could see a glint against the light. She made a guess that it was probably a flask. She hoped there was already water inside but knew it probably wouldn't be likely. Next to the sack was a smaller mesh bag. It was hard to tell from this distance but she could possibly see that inside were a couple of knives._

 _She needed them, both the sack and the knives … she could reach them without getting hurt…_

 ** _4 … 3 … 2 …. 1…_**

 _As soon as the boom of the cannon went off … the commotion started._

 _The backpack she wanted and the knives were luckily not too far inside the Cornucopia but were resting on the outside of the wall plate on the right side where she was closest too. She ran as fast as her feet could take her and pushed hard with all her might. She had to dodge a few people and it wasn't long before she heard screams when the blades started swinging._

 _Without thinking twice about it, she grabbed onto the bag, stuffing the mesh one inside and heaved it quickly over her shoulder. Unfortunately, her bad luck struck again when she felt a piercing sensation fly against her left arm. She gasped in pain and a small yelp jogged her when she noticed a long line of blood rapidly forming on her skin. The cut was at least four inches in length but thankfully it didn't look too deep._

 _Her head snapped up just in time to see another knife about to be thrown at her from the District Two male. Acting on instinct; she bent down quickly and grabbed the knife he had previously thrown at her and with exact precision – nailed him in the chest and straight through the heart._

 _She unintentionally paused for a moment as she watched his body collapse to the floor with a thump._

She killed him.

 _She had killed another human being … a_ child _like her._

 _A terrified scream from another tribute was the thing that snapped her back to her senses and she finally took off running. Since there was no one coming that way, she headed towards the area the District Two tribute had been blocking._

I would have had to take him out anyway, _she tried to tell herself._ He would have tried to kill me if I let him live. Think about Evan…

 _As she passed his immobile body – she wrenched the knife from his chest and without a second thought ran for her life away from the bloodshed and murder. She accidentally bumped into a few trees with the adrenaline running through her veins faster then it should. It felt like she had been running through the dense forest for twenty minutes before finally starting to make a stop in her stride. She stumbled over the tree roots before eventually regaining her footing._

 _She tried to calm the heavily beating heart in her chest with her breath slowing down from pants to small exhales. After a few minutes, she managed to find some large rocks and decided to rest for a second to grasp her bearings. She would carry on after catching a breather and figuring her next move._

 _Caroline looked around properly to notice the surroundings she had found herself in. It was a forest, that much she was sure of. Certainly nothing like back home. The trees around her were covering any chance of seeing the sky and all along the bark were vines. Some had a wet, sticky sensation to them. She grimaced, not liking the look of the substance and made sure not to get too close to it. For all she knew, it was poisonous to her. It wouldn't be a surprise._

 _As a few seconds passed; she eventually took off her backpack and threw it in front of where she was sitting. She unzipped it and started rummaging through the contents of what she was able to retrieve. There was a small portion of food consisting of dry nuts and meat. It wasn't enough to last a day or two if she really stretched herself thin and as expected, the flask she noticed previously was empty. She would have to find a stream to fill it somewhere along the line._

 _The one thing she was very pleased to find and thoroughly glad to see was a small tin of a clear paste. She let out a small laugh with a smile and instantly opened it. She pinched a small amount and glazed it over the wound the male from District Two was able to get out of her. The adrenaline had been pumping through her body too hard for the pain to really set in but as soon as she applied it, the sharp tingles that used to be there began to dissipate with relief sitting in its place._

 _It was an ointment the Capitol used to repair small wounds and repair the skin._

 _While remaining careful not to smudge the paste on her arm, she closed the tin and stuck it in the bottom of the bag, replacing all the items she had gone through back on top. There were enough supplies there to hopefully last her. Even then, she would still have to be exceptionally careful. She didn't know how many sponsors she actually had but she didn't want to rely on people she couldn't care less for._

 _She examined the knives she managed to procure and found they all looked the same. They were thin, easy to handle, and the blades held a weird but gentle pattern on the side. It was horrible to think but these knives looked extremely nice to both look at and hold within her grasp. Each one had a thick grey strap around the holder and it was tough to the touch._

 _She picked up and held the one that's done the most damage today … she let what little light there was around her bounce off of it._

 _The blood had dried out during her run so there were crusted bits of dark brown staining the surface. She felt her throat clench and her heart skip a beat as she stared at it – a bead of tears starting to accumulate in the corner of her eyes. She couldn't remember his name but she had killed him. He was dead because of her, because of the fact that she wanted to live – that she needed to live. He was probably the same. He wanted and needed to live but she had gotten him quicker than he could have done to her._

 _Looking closer at the blade, it was a tiny bit different from the rest that she had. There was a small tear in the leather binding and she spotted a clear notch on one side of the blade. It was a one of a kind and it had just taken another life of a child._

 _A hand raised to her mouth as she continued to stare at the weapon, the tears peeling over the edge of her eyelids. If he had never thrown this knife at her, he would have never been killed by her hand. If the Hunger Games never existed, this would never have happened to begin with. If the people of the Capitol were just as disgusted with the Hunger Games as they were, there would have never been a single Game, to begin with._

 _How could anyone support these games … to feel good about themselves and not want to do something about it? It was madness, cruel … how could anyone sleep at night knowing they were sending children to their death because of some stupid game? None of this is make-believe and maybe there are some people that don't seem to realize that._

 _She wanted to go home so badly._

"Miss Winters," Plutarch's voice cut through her flashback, "You only have six minutes left to present your chosen skill."

Caroline instantly felt her teeth clench and anger surge through her body as he spoke. Her chosen skill? What was anyone's chosen skill in the Hunger Games … _killing?_ Because that's what all this was really about… who was more likely to make the kill and who would do it in a way the Capitol would cheer over. No, she wasn't going to play by their rules this time. She wasn't going to bow down to the Capitol's wishes anymore and do what they wanted of her.

She was going to tell President Snow and his lackeys to go screw off.

She's figured out exactly what she wanted to do.

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 **Have an awesome end to 2018/beginning to 2019! Don't drink and drive!**


	8. Personal Assessment

**Warning –** **This is probably the shortest chapter of the story and there's a reason for this. I was originally going to place it at the end of the last chapter but I ultimately felt it should be on its own. This chapter deals with hints of abuse, sexual assault, and self-harm for Caroline (and a little bit for Finnick) so please, please, please, if this content is something you don't want to be reading then please don't. The main part of this chapter is describing to everyone the general basis to what's happened to them as the Capitol Darlings.** ** _Prostitution_** **. There will very likely be more detailed instances of this and possibly flashbacks later on but I will write another warning note at the top if I decide to go through with it so everyone is aware.**

 **You will find out what she did during her assessment later on in this book. Not sure exactly when, possibly in the next chapter, but you will find out. This chapter gives a brief glimpse into what might have happened but it doesn't go into significant detail.**

 **CHAPTER 7**

 **Personal Assessment**

Finnick sat on the sofa with his knee anxiously bouncing up and down. He twiddled his hands together as he proceeded to wait longer and dreading each minute that went by without seeing Caroline pass through their doorway.

 _It's been too long,_ he thought restlessly, _she should be back by now._

He couldn't help but let the uneasiness feeling sit in his heart. He knew nothing would happen to her, not right now anyway. She was a Victor going into the Hunger Games. If anything were to have happened to her, there would literally be an uprising within the Capitol itself. Like him, as much as it disgusted him to know, she was a prized possession of this place. Many of the Victors were and no one really thought of them as humans in this place.

It's a wonder as to why the citizens of the Capitol haven't revolted over the fact that they'll be losing many of their precious Victors after tomorrow. He supposed they loved watching people kills themselves rather than save them. To be fair, if they can watch 23 children brutally die every year, for 74 years, then they could likely stomach the idea of losing some Victors to the same fate.

He glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall again with the ticking sound slowly driving him insane. Twenty-five minutes he had gotten back – ten minutes ago he expected her also to be back. Ten minutes for her assessment and five minutes to walk to their apartment. He knew he shouldn't be too worried since she could handle herself but he couldn't help it. He was always worried when it came to her. It physically hurt to see her out of his sight sometimes and whenever either of them had 'jobs' to do, it practically killed him inside and withered his soul away.

He couldn't wait for all of this to be over – for them to be in District 13 with everyone else. He wanted the rebellion to skip a year and be done with it. He wanted everyone to be free from their shackles and to live the life that they want. He wanted President Snow and these Games to be dead just as much as everyone else.

His mind started drifting off and begin thinking about what life would be like after the rebellion was over and won. What would he and Caroline do with themselves? They had enough money between them so that wasn't an issue. They still had a house each in Victor's village they could go back to.

They could keep one for themselves and when Evan's old enough to live on his own, he could have the other one … or maybe Ms. Jenkins would like it? She certainly deserved a new house after everything she's done for them over the past few years…

He could finally ask her for her hand in marriage.

The very thought of it made him feel warm inside and excited as he imagined the love of his life walking down the aisle towards him. How they would be covered in a net made of long grass while their vows were spoken to each other, as per tradition in District 4. They would then seal the ceremony with a kiss of saltwater touching their lips. A smile covered his lips as he continued to think about what their future might hold further from that.

Finnick was so lost in his thoughts thinking about a potential future that he never noticed the elevator door opening or a person stepping through the apartment barrier. A pair of feet padded slowly through the hallways and towards where he was in the living room. It wasn't until she stepped into the room itself that the movement suddenly caught the edge of his sight line.

He blinked a few times before physically perking up at the sight of her finally returning. Caroline walked into the room in almost a daze and his heart rapidly halted as he noticed something on her arm A sense of panic shot his veins and a ton of possibilities ran through his mind. He immediately jumped up to his feet in a sense of urgency.

Caroline was standing there in the hallway with her left arm dripping with blood. Her overall skin color was a few shades paler than usual and her head was lowered as she stared at the self-inflicting cut on her arm. There were smudges all along the wound and it appeared as though it's been bleeding out for a short while. She barely recognized the fact that she made it back to the apartment because the next thing she knew she felt a pair of familiar hands gently touching her shoulders and guiding her to sit down on the sofa.

 _"_ _Care…"_ A voice tried to get through to her as she continued to stare at the familiar-looking wound on her arm. This time it wasn't going to be wiped away by the Capitol because she made it reappear again. "Hey, look at me…" The voice was gentle as a hand touched her chin, making her head lift up from the arm and into the eyes of the very person who was trying to get through to her.

As she finally looked up at him, he noticed the tears in her eyes straight away.

Finnick knelt down in front of her and carefully took a hold of her injured arm, trying to assess how much damage had been done. The cut was about the same length as the one before he remembered being on this arm but this time it was a little deeper. That explained the extra blood being lost. Because of the fact that he didn't want to leave her alone, he decided to take off the grey jacket he had on and place it against the wound to stop the bleeding. He would have to try and find some ointment rather soon so it won't get infected.

She barely flinched as he applied the cloth and pressed down.

"How did this happen?" He asked delicately, not wanting to provoke anything bad happening. This wasn't the first time something like this has happened to throw her into shock. Unfortunately, it wasn't even the first time he's found out that she's injured herself on purpose. He wasn't quite sure what it was this time but, in the past, it's always had something to do with the memories of her Games or the activities they were forced to endure.

Sometimes they would just become too strong for her to handle or push away.

Caroline opened her mouth as if she were going to speak but then closed it again a second later. She tried to gather her thoughts before she could form them into words. Everything was a bit of a blur right now because all she could remember was the feeling of extreme anger. Pictures started flying around in her head as she grabbed her bearings back.

"I know I should've used the berry mixture but I couldn't help it." She whispered to herself, almost in shame. She looked down at her arm again and all she could see was the District Two tribute throwing that knife at her. "I just wanted to show them everything that they've done … to get through to them somehow. To show them how much pain they've caused everyone in the Districts. They had my knife there and I-I just-"

Finnick noticed her hand start to clench on the injured side and quickly stepped in to try and defuse the tension. It wouldn't do her any good making the wound worse than it already is.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Finnick told her, putting a hand on her knee as a sign of comfort. "It's over now. You don't have to worry about the assessment anymore."

"No, nothings okay." Caroline shook her head with tears appearing in her eyes, "I think I just made things worse for ourselves."

Finnick still wasn't quite understanding what she had done but he could tell it wasn't anything good … considering what she just said. To be honest; he didn't give a damn because all he cared about was making sure she was alright as a first and foremost. He could never blame her if she had done something because between the two of them – she probably had more guts then he did.

"Then we'll deal," He assured her, "Just like we always have."

"I was just _soo_ angry and fed up." She pressed on, slowly letting the tears drive her over the edge, "Someone put my knife there on that wall and all I could see was the arena and that boy from District 2. Jason Manton, that was his name. The first person I killed because of these stupid Games, because of Snow, because I wanted to live. How is it fair that I get to live when all of those children had to die?" Her voice cracked as each person she killed came back to haunt her even in her waking moments.

"I wanted to do something that showed them I wasn't going to follow their orders from now on – that I wasn't this powerless and disgusting, broken, used toy that people played with anymore."

Caroline's breathing started getting harder to exhale as the sobs shook throughout her body. She raised a hand to her chest when she felt it constricting tightly underneath her skin. She could feel the walls closing in on her and she could barely breathe under the weight. There were times like this were she felt foreign within her own skin and she couldn't seem to crawl back out of it. The bruises and cuts were gone from her body but she could still feel them below the surface digging away at her.

She vaguely felt Finnick climb onto the sofa beside her and pull her into his lap, encasing her into a tight hug as he tried to bring her back from the brink and share some of her pain. She curled into him and her hands gripped tightly at his shirt. Her whole body shook as the crying became uncontrollable and she wished so deeply for the pain to stop and leave her alone.

"I don't want to feel like this anymore." She wept into his shirt almost incoherently.

Finnick knew exactly what she was talking about because he's gone through near enough exactly what she has. He knew for a fact that's she's always had it worse and it kills him knowing he couldn't have done anything to prevent it or even help. There was always a strong façade put up soon after it's happened but initially, they would both break down and take the time to try and move past it. They had to keep up their appearances and make it believable that they wanted this life.

Somehow that made them feel even more nauseated with themselves.

They both tried to not let it get to them but sometimes … it was just too much.

They've been doing this for nearly seven years and after all these years, it's worn them down so much that they can barely recognize themselves anymore. They were both _Capitol Darlings_. Those two words were glamorized and hid from the public what it really was.

 _Prostitution_.

Everything they were forced to do was demoralizing. Every time they had to go back again and defy their morals and dignity, it killed them just a little bit more inside. It was another reason why they were each other's emotional rock that got them through the day. If they were on their own … neither wanted to know what would've happened to them.

After a while you somehow grow accustomed to the life you're forced to lead and the numbness draws you closer into a shell of your former self. You become someone you're not on the surface and very few people get to see the real you anymore. The pair could only try to forget and tell themselves that they were doing the right thing to keep the ones they loved safe, even if it meant destroying themselves in the process.

Finnick closed his arms around her tighter when he felt his own tears start pouring down his cheeks. He wished he could make everything better with one click of his fingers but he couldn't. He could only hold on for her and try and share the burden of her pain, just as she would do for him in his moment of need.

The pair completely ignored the fact that both their shirts were going to be stained with blood from the wound in her arm. It probably won't be too bad since the bleeding had started to stop earlier anyway.

"Everything's going to be okay." He mumbled a promise, burying his face into her hair and letting the strawberry scent from her strands try to comfort him. "The plan will work … and we'll get through this together."

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 **Happy New Years Day!**


	9. Assessment Scores & Recovery

**Note: You can find what Caroline wears on my Quotev and Wattpad platforms inside the chapter itself! They're the only ones that allow me to add pictures to my stories.**

 **There's a lighthearted scene between Finnick and Caroline at the end of this chapter that I adored writing. It does border on slightly sexual content (here's your warning) but I did make myself laugh a couple of times too which is always fun. Let me know what you think! Enjoy! :)**

 **CHAPTER 8**

 **Assessment Scores & Recovery**

 _"_ _I-I have to stand out there? In front of that massive audience?" Caroline's eyes grew wide and her heart thumped in her chest loudly as she stared at the screen above them. The camera was panning around the crowd and all she could see was more and more people. The audience was massive – there were thousands of bodies in that room and all staring up at the stage where Ceaser Flickerman was making his introductions._

 _She could barely see the far end of the building._

 _Was the entire population of the Capitol here tonight?_

 _It sure felt like it._

 _She gulped with an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach. God, she really didn't want to do this. Her chest heaved up and down anxiously as the pounding in her ears doubled. She didn't like being the center of attention, let alone standing in front of thousands of people as the main focus point. What if she screwed up? Said the wrong thing? She could make an utter fool of herself on live television and even the potential horrified her._

 _Tonight was the interview portion for the Hunger Games. They happened every year; the night after training and the assessments have been concluded. These interviews were always conducted by the Capitol's very own Ceaser Flickerman. Just going by his appearance; he looked like a nice man with some exotically stylish attires and flashy colored hair. Over the years, he's generally stayed the same in terms of what he looks like but every year, he decides to mix up the color pallet to stay 'in the now'. His choice for this year seemed to run with bold colors. His hair was a vibrant scarlet with his suit nearly matching it – the shade toning down a little on the leather._

 _Caroline stood in the middle of the hallway, just a few meters away from where she was supposed to be standing. She tried to tell herself it would be over in no time but her feet just wouldn't budge – she was undeniably petrified of going up on that stage. It didn't help that the clothing she was forced to wear made her skin feel too airy. She couldn't remember the last time she's worn something this short, let alone an actual dress._

 _Her prep team and stylist made her wear a deep ocean blue silk dress that fell to the middle of her upper thigh. In light layers on top of the silk was a thin organza material in the same color. The skirt draped longer at the back then it did at the front to give it some variety. Around the waist where the skirt connects to the top, there was a thin gold chain that acted like a loose belt. It did greatly compliment the blue to give it an eye-catching feel. On her feet were a pair of simple black heels that made her feel like a tripping hazard._

 _Her hair held a subtle hair vine of gold and ivory, spotted with small white flowers and cotton buds as it was pulled into a half up, half down hairdo. Her make-up was natural with a light brush of lip gloss, a tiny bit of mascara and eyeliner to make her features pop. Her stylist, Pearl, told her point blank that she had an eternal beauty about her that only a few would possess. That anything more on her face than needed would take away the natural beauty._

 _Finnick stood behind her with a light hand brushing against the sole of her back._

 _"_ _Care, you'll be fine." He tried to calm her nerves._

 _He observed their surroundings to make sure no one looking in their direction. He could only see that there were one or two Capitol guards roaming about. He knew all the other tributes were just down the hall waiting to be called upon. All of the mentors were supposed to be in the audience by now but he wanted to make sure Caroline was okay before he left … and to give her a vote of support. He was also finding it hard to let her out of his sight considering the circumstances._

 _Finnick knew she never liked being the center of attention so she probably just needed some encouragement. She was one of the last to arrive out of all the tributes, and so were the pair from District 10. All three of them were taking their time until they were forced to hurry up._

 _"_ _There's just … so many people." Caroline couldn't take her eyes away._

 _She felt a wave of panic settling on top of the ever-growing fear of tomorrow. She started binding her hands together in the hope that doing so, would take away some of the stress off her shoulders. All she wanted to do was run and hide in a closet. Maybe even run for the hills … if trees even exist in the Capitol. All she noticed were buildings and streets on her way in._

 _This place was nothing like home._

 _"_ _Hey," Finnick pulled her to the side and away from the screen so she couldn't watch it anymore. It wasn't doing her any good. He made her face him and look straight into his bright sea-green eyes. He sent her a comforting look as he rested his hands on her upper arms, "You will be_ _ **fine**_ _." He repeated, "Just remember everything we practiced last night. The interview's only going to be a minute or two. You can be as vague or descriptive as you like. Just try and hook the audience in with something that means a lot to you. And I know it's horrible but … let them pretend they know you like anyone close to you would."_

 _There was a pause._

 _"_ _You're right," Caroline whispered to herself as she processed the majority of his words, "That is horrible." She momentarily forgot everything else that was said but put it into the back of her brain for later use. She took in the comfort his touch gave her, like a warm hug when she was upset._

 _She didn't want these people knowing anything about her but … she didn't really have a choice, did she? They're part of the reason why she was here in the first place. If they stood up and said 'cancel the Hunger Games!' then all these children, including herself, wouldn't be sentenced to death. How was she supposed to win these people over and to make them think she was worth saving? How could she even justify putting her life as more important than the other 23 children she's going to have to compete with. This was the stuff of nightmares and she's living in it right now._

 _She had no idea how she was going to get through everything after tonight._

 _She'll be entering the Hunger Games in the morning and she was_ _ **terrified**_ _to the core._

…

The entire team from District 12 including; the Victors, stylists, mentors, and escort were huddled around the television screen later that day after having finished their meal. It wasn't long before the Hunger Games interviews were to commence but it was still a few hours out. It left enough time to see what scores they received from their training assessments.

Peeta and Katniss kept their distance from everyone. During dinner, it was revealed exactly what each other them did during their assessments and no one looked particularly impressed by the news. The only one who didn't look too phased was Cinna. He didn't seem to take it as bad as the others. There was almost a sliver of proudness in his eyes yet he seemed to try and hide it. He perched himself next to Katniss, wrapping an arm around her as the screen flared with life.

They turned the news on just in time to see photographs of Cashmere and Gloss appear on the screen. In the background, you could hear Ceaser Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith chatting away to each other as they gossip about their favorite Victors, muttering about who they predict will do well this year. Following the photos were scores. Numbers that were deemed appropriate for each Victor's level of skill.

As predicted; Districts One and Two received all high counts of eleven, solidifying the fact that they were a few of the most dangerous heading into the arena this year. In District 3 with Beetee and Wiress, they came out with decent scores of 7 & 8\. That was to be expected. Neither of them was considered to be the type of fighting bloody. They were smart enough to think of ways that wouldn't put them in the line of fire.

"What the-?" Katniss quietly muttered to herself in confusion as a picture of Caroline Winter's appeared on the screen, followed closely behind by a bold twelve next to her name. Ceaser and Claudius were babbling to themselves in the background with astonishment plastering their tone. She tuned them out as if they were white noise.

"A score of twelve?!" She repeated what her eyes caught. She glanced towards each person in the room and they all appeared just as shocked as her. Haymitch was probably the only one who didn't look as affected as them but he's always been like that. She didn't take note of the odd behavior he possessed as of late since everything that's happened is hard on everyone. "Has that ever happened before?"

Katniss couldn't recall any time that's happened because the highest she could remember was eleven.

"No." Cinna was the one to murmur as his eyes stayed attached to the screen.

Katniss peered over her shoulder again while the rest of the tributes scores were announced. She quickly noticed this time how her mentor was sighing to himself, his fingers gripping the edge of his nose and his head ducked in what she could fathom as dismay. She wondered briefly if the blonde was another of his friends, another that he would soon lose to the Hunger Games again. With everything that's going on – she had to remind herself that he's known these people for quite a long time, some more than others. He was going to have to watch his friends die and she already knew she didn't want to be the cause of it.

The thought of just her and Peeta going it alone was starting to become a better idea at this point.

Her attention snapped back to the television screen just in time for her and Peeta's scores to appear. She wasn't entirely shocked but a part of her was still bewildered when she witnessed the bold twelves hanging next to each of their names. They received the same scores as Caroline Winters.

The last few words were spoken from the commentators before the screen turned black. Nothing else would be aired until the interviews tonight. Everything in the room turned into quiet shuffles but no one moved away from their place.

The silence in the room was almost suffocating as the disappointment rolled off one particular person in waves. The two Victors knew well enough that a score of twelve was nothing to be excited about – it was just as bad as receiving a zero on a test paper. It meant trouble. An eleven usually meant someone with dangerous talent – a person that others needed to keep an eye on. But someone was a twelve? That made them sound like the most volatile of them all.

Peeta ended up being the one to speak up first as his brows furrowed. "Why did they do that?" He tried to come up with a conclusion and only one despicable theory bounced around in his head. He wouldn't put it past Snow to tamper with the scores just to help get rid of them once and for all. It was the reason any of this was happening in the first place. The only reason he would throw Victor's into the Hunger Games again, hiding behind a rubbish lie that it was already written in stone before the first Games began.

Haymitch was voiceless for a moment before he revealed his wisdom in a flat tone – staring off into the distance. "Retaliation, that's why."

He should have known this would happen.

He had an inkling that something like this would come about - given what his tributes revealed to them during dinner. Although; he didn't imagine Caroline would also receive the same score. Actually, no, he did. It wasn't too much of a surprise but he hoped to have been proved wrong. It didn't matter to Snow that she was a Capitol Darling anymore – he had other agendas on the list.

He did have to wonder, though, what provoked such a score despite that. If Peeta and Katniss received scores based on how they rebelled during their assessments – what did Caroline do during hers to receive such a reaction?

"Why would Caroline get a twelve like us?" Katniss vocalized his inner thoughts. The brunette glanced between everyone as if someone knew the answer to her question. "She's a Capitol Darling. It doesn't make sense to put a bullseye on her head."

No one could answer why because there was only one way to know for certain what happened during Caroline's assessment. She would have to reveal that information if she wanted it shared. It was all confidential information otherwise that never left the inner circle.

 _"_ _It was her..."_

Peeta's voice cut through their thoughts. He suddenly felt multiple pairs of puzzled eyes turning to him soon after his admission. He turned to look at Katniss specifically for a moment, "Didn't you see it when you walked in for your assessment? The writing on the wall?" He asked, "It's what gave the motivation I needed to paint Rue in the first place."

"Writing on the wall?" Cinna questioned.

He and Haymitch shared a look when no one was looking. They then went on to listen as Katniss and Peeta explained further, recollection drumming in both their eyes as they spoke.

"Oh," Katniss murmured quietly to herself as she gathered what he was talking about. She looked back up but kept her eyes steady on Peeta's. "It looked like someone tried to scrub a bit off but I guess someone stopped them because it was still pretty bold. It didn't look like they were having much luck getting it off, otherwise, we probably wouldn't have seen it."

Effie was horrified enough by her own tributes' actions in their assessments. She dreaded to think what young Caroline had done to piss them off as much as Peeta and Katniss had. "But, what did it say?"

"I think it was a message to anyone who supported the Hunger Games – to anyone who's never tried stopping it," Peeta explained, recalling exactly what it said. "It said, ' _1800 children were murdered because of you. Do your own children have to die before you start to care?_ '"

The only ones to react in horror were Effie and Portia as they let out unionized gasps.

The men in the room didn't look surprised but were seemed somewhat troubled by the news.

"That's not all though." Peeta continued, a little hesitant to put forth the next piece of information. No one interrupted him but he got the silent signal to continue, "I've used enough different materials as paints since I was a child but I never got close to that color or the thickness. The smell was rather potent too when I got a little closer to it. The only time I've seen that color is when Katniss would bring over the animals she's hunted."

"It was blood," Katniss stated bluntly on the subject he was dancing around. "It looked like blood was used, not berries. There was brownish crusting around the edges as it was drying up too. I'm certain that's what it was."

The air felt claustrophobic again as the revelation sunk into their skins.

After a moment; Haymitch was the one to slowly speak in a tone that someone should follow. "I think you two should get some rest in your rooms before the big night tonight." He recommended, not taking a no for an answer. "Someone will come by and get you when the prep team is ready."

…

Finnick brushed a few stray strands out of Caroline's face as she curled further into his body. She was fast asleep with her arm resting against his clothed chest. The blanket covered them both, for him it went up to the middle of his stomach and for her, to the top of her shoulders. He felt tiredness ache through his bones but he just couldn't seem to fall asleep. The worry of many things spreading rapidly into his heart. From everything that's happened, up until now and what was to come.

How little time they had left was starting to weigh him down and he couldn't help but hold his love a little tighter as she slept. He dipped his nose into her hair, closed his eyes and cherished the smell of strawberry's surrounding him. That berry has always been her favorite, ever since her mother introduced it to her shortly before she died.

Just before heading to bed for a nap, one that would _hopefully_ mentally prepare them for the interviews tonight, he managed to calm Caroline down enough to tend to the wound engraved on her arm. Luckily, the blade she used was sterile so it was doubtful she'll gain an infection from it. It was likely the marking would disappear soon, probably by the time they had to get ready.

Neither of them was looking forward to tonight at all.

After leaving her for a couple of minutes when she calmed down earlier; he came back in with a small pot of ointment from the first aid kit in the kitchen. It was a special concoction that would heal the skin in a very short amount of time while avoiding any possible scars. She had been reluctant to have it smeared on her skin but in the end, she realized it probably wasn't a wise decision to have a visible scar running down her arm. Both for her brother's sake and to avoid questions from random people in the Capitol.

It could cost them donors if they figured she was potentially harming herself.

Finnick really wanted to know what happened during her individual assessment. Though, he probably wouldn't find out until later at the very least. From what he was able to piece together; she did something with her blood when she could have used berries instead. He remembered her insinuating that notion. It was also mentioned that she wanted the people watching her to realize everything they were doing, including the consequences of their actions. He still couldn't quite fathom out what it was she did exactly.

Maybe she wrote a message or drew something on the wall?

He wasn't quite sure.

The woman his thoughts were on suddenly knocked him out of his headspace as she shifted against his body. She instinctually snuggled closer to his warmth and he wrapped a tighter arm around her body.

She still kept her eyes closed but it was clear she was starting to stir. She was slowly awakening from her slumber with a slight niggle of a headache in the back of her head. Her eyes began to blearily open and it wasn't long before she noticed the man next to her staring with a small smile on his lips.

"Hmm, hey," She hummed in a low voice as she tried to keep quiet.

"Hey back," He replied in the same way.

Caroline stretched out the arm that was currently wrapped in a white gauge. She could feel a slight sting where the cut had been but otherwise ignored it and pretended it didn't exist. She couldn't even bring herself to look at it and check how much damage she actually did to herself. Everything about this morning was pretty much a blur to her and part of her was fine with that.

"Have you been to sleep yet?" She asked tiredly, rubbing her eyes and the removed the sleep from them. As she peered up to look at him, she couldn't help but notice immediately just how exhausted he looked - probably about as much as she still felt.

She noticed the black bags peeking underneath his eyes and suddenly felt very guilty, knowing it was probably her fault that he didn't get any sleep. She definitely remembered he was still wide awake after she closed her eyes and fell asleep herself. He probably stayed awake just holding her all this time. They seemed to be in the exact same position as she remembered.

"Course I have." Finnick fibbed, quite badly, and the blonde couldn't help but snort at the attempt that was so hilariously terrible. There were little tell-tale signs that she could always pick up when he was lying. There was always something in his tone and his eyes usually bolted away from her, trying to stare at anything else in the room other than her.

"Uh huh, sure." She grinned teasingly, trying to push away the guilty thoughts. They could barely see much through the darkness but there was a calm light coming from the far window-wall. It was nice. If she didn't know she was being held captive by the Capitol, about to be put to death, then this might actually be a beautiful room to stay in.

"You know you can't lie to _me_ , right?" Caroline continued, trying to rub it in a little, "You really are _terrible_ at it." She could feel his fingers lightly playing with her hair as a comfortable silence covered them like a warm blanket.

She always found it odd yet slightly amusing that in public with total strangers, he was able to lie like it's easy as pie. But with her; he seemed to blubber his way into a corner and absolutely suck at convincing her.

All of a sudden; she took note to just how dark it was outside.

"I'll take a guess to say we missed dinner?" Caroline wondered out loud. She went back to resting her head on his chest after taking a better look out the glass pane from her side. She was lying on the far end while Finnick was lying closer to the window. Without notice, she felt her stomach make a grumble.

Given how the man beside her tried and failed to hide his laugh - the sound of her belly wasn't as small as she hoped.

 _I could really use a cupcake right about now_ , she thought.

As if having read her mind; Finnick reached over on his side of the bed and flicked on the lamp. The room was suddenly filled with light which made their eyes sting for a second. After a few moments, his hand returned to present her most favorite food of all and it was instantaneous how wide her eyes became.

 **A cupcake.**

From what she could tell – it was a strawberry cupcake with a pink (likely strawberry again) buttercream frosting swirled on top like a small tower. Placed on top of the icing was a small strawberry with the stem still attached. Her mouth watered at the very sight of it and her stomach begged to snatch it away from the mean man tempting her with it.

Any tiredness she felt in her body was magically whipped away at the sight of the queen of all foods.

"I'm willing to share half of my cupcake…" Finnick playfully started, horribly teasing her by waving it slightly in front of her face but just out of reach. "…for a price, of course." He had a cheeky grin on his face that made her want to narrow her eyes at him but she refrained from doing so. She wasn't about to play into his hand.

Caroline raised an eyebrow as her attention went back to him, "Are you blackmailing me, Finnick Odair?" Using his full name for good measure. She leaned away from him before shifting herself into a sitting position. He made a point to move the cupcake a little further away from her as she moved aside her pillow, situating it behind her back. The wooden bed frame touched the skin of her back and it was slightly chilly to the touch.

"Yup."

She tilted her head down at him but her eyes flicked over to the cupcake once more.

"Do you really have the balls to keep that cupcake away from me?"

There was a dangerous and unpredictable spark in her eye that made Finnick falter slightly, however, he told himself to stay strong. He knew all too well that Caroline and her cupcakes were nothing to mess with – especially when it comes to the one that's currently in his hand. He wasn't quite sure how he had the gal to do what he's doing right now … but he was.

Maybe he'll survive … _hopefully_.

"Y-Yes."

"Was that a stutter I hear?"

Finnick let out of huff, "Of course not." He denied.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Caroline let out an inner smirk in her head before deciding to startle him. She climbed on top of him and sat on his chest – she even bit her lip for good measure, knowing exactly what kind of reactions she got out of him with that move. Both her legs now confined his body to the bed with her palms resting against his abs – her fingers lightly gripping his shirt. She could feel her nails faintly scratching his skin.

She could tell how excited he was becoming just by the look in his face.

Finnick had to move the cupcake over to the side a little so she didn't hit the merchandise.

He continued to observe her actions but never complained. His eyes followed her every move but she caught him off guard as she leaned forwards - catching his lips against hers. She leaned into his body and kissed him hard enough that the only thing running through his mind was this particular moment. He could slowly feel the cupcake in his hand becoming forgotten as he started making the next moves.

Caroline soon felt his free hand run underneath her shirt and towards her breasts – she knew he was hooked like a fish. It was hard to fight off the grin he would feel but she managed to contain herself. The hand keeping her cupcake away from her was now in a reachable position. She could see it slowly being lowered towards the bedsheets as he completely forgot about it.

Finnick used his knees to push her towards him slightly and she was assaulted by peppered kisses trailing down the skin of her neck. Her chest heaved deeply, feeling a warmth brew inside of her that nearly made her forget why she initiated this coo in the first place.

 _No, Caroline … focus._

She almost felt like she was betraying her cupcakes because she wasn't sure what she wanted more.

Finnick … or the cupcake.

 _The cupcake._

It was the moment when his fingers were about to slip underneath her bra that she did the most diabolical thing she knew how to do to him. Within seconds; she managed to slip away from his grasp and snatch the delicious cupcake away from his skillfully pleasurable hands. She moved to the other side of the bed before he could pull her back. Although, he appeared too stunned to even do anything about it.

"Thank you for the cupcake, dear." Caroline said with a bright smile covering her lips.

His jaw dropped.

He was flabbergasted.

"Oh, you little minx."

She just shrugged indifferently before happily unwrapping part of the cupcake and took a large scrumptious bite from it. Finnick looked physically tortured when she groaned in delight from just eating food. The tightness in his pants was almost gasping as he wished that groaning was coming from a completely different activity. It probably would have hurt less if she just punched him in the face.

"It's your fault," Caroline noted smugly after she swallowed a bite. She was delighted to find out it left an amazing aftertaste as she licked her lips from the frosting. She plucked the strawberry off the top, holding the berry out for her boyfriend to take.

He just stared at her as she made another third of the cupcake disappear.

"What?" Caroline chuckled lightly after she swallowing again. "You did say we'd be sharing this cupcake."

"That was cruel," Finnick stated, now feeling the betrayal sinking in from her actions.

"After all this time … you should know by now to never come between me and my cupcakes."

Of course, as per usual, he did the most childish thing of sticking out his tongue with a huff and a pout formed on his lips. The reaction on his face was one that could always bring a laugh out of her. Yes, he did know that. It's exactly why he started second-guessing himself earlier.

Finnick reached forwards and grabbed the strawberry from her outstretched hand and plucked it into his mouth, barring the stem. He pushed himself into a seated position next to her while trying to use the multiple blankets around them to cover his lower half. He took the initiative to grab a hold of her waist and brought her over to him so she was sitting in his lap. He didn't go anywhere near her cupcake this time but instead wrapped his arms around her waist and cuddle into her back.

They shared the sentiment of tranquility for a few peaceful seconds after the cupcake was completely devoured. The type of silence that gradually grew on them like a vine began choking them and everything slowly turned oddly cold. It started attacking the skin that wasn't hiding underneath the covers.

"How long have we got?" Caroline finally inquired.

One of the main events that have been plaguing them both all day would be upon them soon. The other had been their training assessments that happened this morning. Finnick knew exactly what she was referring to because a small slow breath left his lips. He too was trying to forget about their upcoming performances.

Finnick was about to open his mouth to reply but was stopped when hard knocking sounded from their bedroom door. It was loud enough to wake up the dead. It certainly made them both nearly jump out of their skin and freeze. They were a little afraid at who it might be, however, their relief came swiftly with the sound of a squeaky woman's voice.

"It's time to get up you two!" Adaline Carrows shouted from outside the barrier in her very uptight style of speech. "And I know you kids are both in there! You have five minutes to be up, showered, and ready for the teams to get working on you."

The woman gave the door a few extra bangs for good measure before the sound of her high heels clicked against the floor and towards the living room.

Finnick was the one to roll his eyes but they both shared a small smile. That woman always knew where they were. She was like a bat that could see through walls. Adaline Carrows was one of the very few people who knew, not in complete detail, that there was secretly something going on between them. She knew very well not to reveal anything because she knew exactly what the consequences could be.

Neither of them immediately made a move to get ready like they were told.

Caroline let out a small resigning sigh as she mentally prepared herself to finally get up and out of bed. To get showered and dressed. She turned up to look at Finnick when a sudden playful thought came to her. It would certainly make up for what she did to him earlier. It would also get rid of the hot and bothered feeling she was also experiencing now that the cupcake adrenaline had worn off.

As he felt her gaze at him, he followed in suit and stared back at her as a glint appeared in her eye. She turned away in no particular direction when she noticed his attention was on her. A mischievous smirk appeared on her lips that he could only get a glimpse of.

She was learning _far_ too much from her better half.

"You know, Mr. Odair" She echoed quietly to him, almost as if she were speaking as an afterthought but there was a secret conveyed within. "The only way we'll be ready in five minutes is if we were to use the shower at the same time."

Finnick's eyes sparkled just as devilish as hers.

"I like the way you think, Miss Winters."

 **Follow, Fav, and Review!**

 **Never mess with a girl and her food, haha. Thank you for reading!**

 **Note:** When I refer to 1800 children were murdered. I do include all the victors that are still alive. As soon as they participated in the Hunger Games, their old selves were killed off when they killed another or experienced something a child should never have to face. Their lives change forever, no matter how much they enjoy the benefits. (District's one and Two for example) I hope you can understand my reasoning!


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